Can't Rely on Authority
by cvtisjustok
Summary: After rescuing Sirius Black, again. Harry realizes the authority figures in his life arent doing their job. Watch as Harry takes his future into his own hand. HP/LL eventually, slight Dumbledore Bashing, some Weasley bashing.
1. Chapter 1

Can't Rely on Authority

Prologue

"Three turns should do it" said Dumbledore. Harry didn't know what was going on, but something didn't feel right…

Harry Potter was sitting on the train to London on a bright July morning and thankfully was garnering very little attention. He was dressed in his cousins too large hand me downs, baseball cap, and a 'borrowed' backpack. Inside was his wand, invisibility cloak and a 'borrowed' Ravenclaw robe. As the train speeded on to its destination, Harry was thinking about his plan and how he got started on his new path.

-Flashback - Hospital Wing after Minister Fudge, Snape, and Dumbledore left.

Harry lay in his bed with a knot in his stomach, not being able to fall asleep even though he was extremely tired. The reason for his dilemma was the realization that he couldn't trust in any authority figure to protect him.

Fudge was going to let the Dementor's kiss Sirius without even questioning him, even though Harry, Hermione and even Ron said he was innocent. Even though the bastard Snape was saying they were bewitched, they had Sirius in custody and should have at least questioned him, if for nothing else than to see what he cursed the children with or how he escaped Azkaban. They didn't even examine the children to see if they were even 'Bewitched'. Dumbledore didn't even put up a fuss.

Harry knew that Dumbledore knew how Sirius escaped; even with the 'HINT' about using the Time Turner he could have… should have done more. ' _Wasn't he Chief Warlock_?' Harry thought. And that, more than anything made Harry realize that he needed to do something about his own protection and freedom. Looking back on his school adventures, he noticed a pattern. Everything he went through could have been avoided if an adult only listened to him and done what should have been their job. Dumbledore always showed up after the event was over… right after. Almost as if he knew what was going on.

Harry knew that whatever he did he needed to be kept a secret. He needed to come up with a plan or else he probably would get caught and stopped from doing what he felt needed to be done for his own safety. Normally he would ask Hermione to help him make any type of plan but he realized that he might have to do some illegal things, and he didn't want to get Hermione in trouble if he got caught. He knew that with his Boy-Who-Lived status that he shouldn't get into too much trouble, but Hermione as a muggleborn could get seriously screwed by the corrupt system. Hermione was getting better but Harry knew that she still had faith in authority and wouldn't do anything considered illegal, which Harry figured he might have to do. It was time to plan.

Step one… finding a way to do magic over the summer. Find a way to get the Trace removed from his wand or maybe a new Trace free wand?

Step two… get materials to study over the summer. See if he can take home some books from the library or maybe ask an older student if he can borrow their books. After all, what good is it to practice magic if all you are only practicing the first through third year spells.

Step Three… See if he can get around the Dursley's. Maybe make a deal or threaten them with 'escaped murderer Sirius Black', his godfather. Harry smiled to himself at that thought.

Step four… Find a way to get some money for new books, food, clothes and maybe a new wand anything to help him prepare. ' _I'll have to sneak to Diagon Alley and Gringotts. ' he thought._

Whatever he did Harry knew he would have to keep it hidden or someone would try to stop him. " _Also imagine Voldemort's surprise when they next meet and he can fight back."_ Harry now had an idea of what he had to do and was starting to feel a little better. His thoughts as he started to fall asleep were " _A Time Turner would sure come in handy…"_

The next day while the three friends were leaving the hospital wing Harry announced that he was going to go to the library to ask Madam Pince a question.

"That sounds like fun." said Hermione. To her it probably was.

Ron begged off saying "I've spent enough time in the library this year, I'll catch up with you both later." and he headed for the Gryffindor dorms.

The library was quiet when they both arrived. Looking around Harry noticed Madam Pince at her desk examining a book with a sour look on her face… her normal look. "Hello Madam Pince" Harry said in a voice just above a whisper. He knew that even with the library empty that Madam Pince didn't tolerate what she called excess noise. "I was wondering if it is possible to borrow a couple of books over the summer?"

Hermione beamed at him, but Madam Pince looked at him as if he asked to borrow a couple of her children over the summer. "I'm sorry but Hogwarts doesn't allow its books to be removed from the grounds."

"Why?" asked Hermione. Harry wondered this also but was glad that he could rely on Hermione to ask a follow up question, especially if it involved a book or learning something new.

Seeing how Hermione was one of the few students that she could tolerate, Madame Pince answered "Tradition mostly, but also over the summer break I take the quiet time to reorganize the shelves and repair any book damaged over the year."

Harry knew that getting any books from Madam Pince was hopeless and turned to leave. Hermione on the other hand didn't want to miss out on any chance of getting a new book… even if borrowed, and asked "Isn't there any exceptions that can be made. I understand not trusting certain students, but someone like myself or even Harry, who are trustworthy and don't have access to the Magical world over the summer?"

As Hermione was arguing with Madam Pince, Harry was looking around the library and noticed a robe on the back of a chair, looking closer he noticed it was a Ravenclaw robe. Harry picked it up and was about to turn it into Madam Pince when an idea struck. ' _If I want to get around unnoticed, what better way than to go around dressed as a student from another house._ Harry tucked the robe under his own and waited by the entrance. A few minutes later Hermione met him grumbling about " _Stupid traditions"_ and they both walked back to Gryffindor tower.

"It's too bad we can't check out books, but why did you want to? You never seemed that interested before?" asked Hermione, looking at Harry with a mix of excitement and suspicion.

. "With everything involved with Sirius, I realized that there is sooo much I don't know about. It also seems that most adults don't really help me out."

Hermione stuttered "You can't be serious Harry? ALL the teachers have been helpful to you and me…maybe not Snape… but professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick and Professor Sprout are always helpful. What about Professor Lupin,? He taught you the Patroness Charm!"

Harry could see that Hermione was getting upset and decided to explain his reasoning. "I didn't mean that the professors aren't helpful, but they tell you what they normally teach or only answer questions that you ask them. Look Hermione, being raised as a muggle there is so much of the wizarding world that I don't know about. The professors, and even people like Ron, who were raised in this world take certain things for granted."

Hermione still looked upset but also was starting to look a little unsure. "But like you said, you just need to ask them."

"But I don't know what questions to ask! And even some people like Dumbledore sometimes say I'm not ready to hear the information. In fact I believe that if I told Dumbledore I wanted to spend the summer learning new magic, he would tell me that I wasn't ready yet, or something similar."

"Dumbledore must have a good reason for not wanting you to practice or for keeping the information from you. It might be too dangerous." Hermione responded with a slight plea in her voice. Harry could tell she didn't like going against authority, and in her mind there was no higher authority than Dumbledore.

"What is so dangerous in telling me why Voldemort was after me as a baby? And other than practicing actual magic in a muggle neighborhood, why shouldn't I be able to learn what could be used against me? Or might help protect me?"

Hermione had a slight shiver at the name Voldemort but couldn't think of a good reason to not tell Harry. Especially after Harry faced him in his first and second year and knew he will be trying to come after him again. ".I'm sure Dumbledore or the professors will tell you what you should learn. I'll help you make a list of questions and we can ask a professor."

"That won't really help. You are the same age as me and were also raised as a muggle. Last night in the hospital wing I was thinking back over my time here at Hogwarts. It seems that all the trouble we got in could have been avoided if an adult stepped in. Now I know what you are going to say…that we usually never went to an adult. Your right, I never felt comfortable going to adults, probably because of the Dursley's, but the times we did go to an adult they weren't very helpful were they?" Hermione was looking troubled but Harry continued before she could say anything. "In first year McGonagall didn't believe us about someone stealing the Philosopher's Stone.. and when have any of the teachers really stopped people like Malfoy from bullying us or the other students?" Harry didn't want to tell Hermione about his suspicion of Dumbledore knowing what was going on and allowing it. He felt it would be too much for her. "Look at what Fudge just did with Sirius. He believed Snape over the three of us… and patted me on the head and just dismissed anything we said."

"I can… see where you might think that." Hermione said hesitantly. "But it doesn't mean you have to do everything on your own."

"I never said I was going to do it all alone. I'm just saying I need to learn more stuff and make sure I can take care of myself."

""That's' seams…. reasonable. But remember you can always count on me!" Hermione said looking more like her usual self. Harry could tell that he gave Hermione a lot to think about and she hadn't made up her mind yet. "Whatever you learn, you'll teach me?" there was a little bit of a plea in her voice.

"Of course Hermione, I could never deprive you of learning something new." Harry said teasingly. They finished their journey to the Gryffindor Tower and after giving the Fat Lady the password, entered to find Ron playing a game of chess with their dorm mate Dean Thomas.

The next day Harry sought out Oliver Wood to see if he could borrow his 7th year text books over the summer. The Quidditch captain was more than happy to lend his books to his star seeker who had just won him the Quidditch Cup. "Keep them. I have a tryout for a professional team in a few weeks and won't need them anymore."

Harry asked "What team?"

Wood refused to say. "I don't want to jinx it so I won't say until it's over."

Harry wished him luck and left, dropping off the books in his trunk. His next stop was the twins. He found them about an hour later as they entered the common room laughing.

"Did you see him squirm?"

Yeah, and it'll last a week after school ends… if he doesn't get it treated."

Both were laughing when Harry approached them "What's so funny guys?"

Fred, or was it George responded "Cursed Flint…"

"…with invisible Hemorrhoids…"

"…that will last for about two weeks!"

Harry joined Fred and George in Laughing. After a few moments Harry asked "Gred, Forge… I wanted to ask a favor."

"I don't know Fred… should we grant this Impertinent request?" said one twin in a snooty manner, looking down his nose at Harry as if he were dirt. Harry couldn't tell if it really was George who spoke. It didn't matter.

"Probably should find out what the favor is before turning it down and crushing his spirit." Said the other twin in a similar attitude

"Proceed… ask your favor Ickle Harrykins."

Harry, knowing the twins antics, chuckled and asked. "Can I borrow your 5th year course books? I will return them when I see you over the summer."

The twins didn't expect this and were looking a little surprised. Back in their regular tone of voice, "Why would you want books two years ahead of you?"

"Is there a reason …"

"…for this all of a sudden…"

"…or are you Hermione under Polyjuice?"

"I'm not Hermione, she's right over there," Harry responded pointing out Hermione by the fireplace reading a book about half her height. "I'm stuck at Durskaban most of the summer without access to anything magical. I can probably convince the Dursley's to let me read because it means I am quiet and out of their way."

The twins chuckled at Harry calling Privet Drive Durskaban . "I don't know Harry. The books might be a little advanced,…"

Harry cut them off. "I'm only going to read them. I can't do magic in the muggle world." One of the twins was about to speak when Harry continued. "Also, Imagine all the mischief I could cause next year if I can do magic that I shouldn't know how to do? No one will suspect me." Harry finished with a little smirk.

The prospect of mischief definitely convinced the twins. They would have given the books to Harry anyway, but now they were looking forward to next year.

"Sure thing Harry…"

"… can we give them to you tomorrow?"

" We want to mark a few pages we think …"

"…you will find…"

"…interesting." They said together, matching Harry's smirk.

"Sure thing guys." Harry knew that anything the twins thought of as interesting was going to be really good… or really bad. He couldn't wait to see which.

The rest of term was uneventful. Harry took this time to refine and add to his plan for the summer. He felt that getting the advanced books from the twins and Oliver Wood was a good first step. The Ravenclaw robe was also a useful tool for the plan. He transfigured a piece of wood to look like his wand that he would let the Dursley's keep to show that he couldn't do magic. With the threat of Sirius and the promise to stay in his room away from them, he felt that he might be able to keep his trunk in his room. He was still planning on hiding his real wand and his father's invisibility cloak on him in case the threat of Sirius wasn't enough. He'll have to wait until he gets there to find out if the plan will work.

Harry was happy that Hermione seemed to be supporting his decision to study up over the summer but she seemed a little concerned when she found out about Harry borrowing the twins books,. She accepted it though because according to her…"Learning is learning". Harry didn't tell her about borrowing Woods 7th year books. Harry flipped through the books at night and thought that they ' _didn't look too hard, just need more power or focus.'_

Before he knew it, Harry found himself, Hermione and Ron on the Hogwarts Express speeding their way to Kings Cross Station. Ron was all excited about the upcoming Quidditch World Cup, and talked about almost nothing else. He did comment on Harry's plan to study over the summer as "Mental, there are so much better things to do with your time than read."

"I think it is a good idea Ron. You could try to get ahead like Harry too." Hermione responded indignintly.

Ron looked at Hermione and muttered "Mental"

Harry spoke to stall the approaching argument, realizing he has done this many times. "Look Ron, while I'm at the Dursley's I don't have anything else to do. At the Burrow you have your family to do things with, I don't. "

"Fine." Ron said. "But I still think it's mental".

It was relatively quiet after that, some idle chit chat but nothing of importance being discussed. Malfoy made his normal appearance and it ended the usual way. Sirius's owl arrived with a Hogsmeade permission slip signed for Harry and the owl itself as a gift for Ron as a replacement for Scabber's. Before he knew it, Harry was at Kings Cross Station and about to face the Dursley's. It was time to see if his plan would work. Harry sighed to himself ' _You can do this._ ' and walked through the barrier.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter One Starting A New Path.

Harry lingered outside the Leaky Cauldron, nervously pacing in an alley across the street. The first part of his plan went off surprisingly well. The Dursley's let him keep his trunk and books, but locked up his 'fake' wand and broom. Harry was OK with this; in fact it was more than he was expecting to be allowed. Now however was when his plan was most in jeopardy of failing ' _So much can go wrong.'_ he thought. _'Will I get caught? Will I be able to find anything that can help me? Will I be able to get money so that I can buy what I might need?._ ' Summoning his Gryffindor courage, he put on the 'borrowed' Ravenclaw robe and walked across the street.

Entering the Leaky Cauldron, the first thing Harry noticed was that the bar was almost completely empty. Tom the barman was even absent, Harry assumed that Tom must be in the back. Harry made his way through the bar and to the back courtyard unnoticed. ' _So far, so good_ " It took Harry a few moments to remember which brick opened the passage to Diagon Alley. After about a minute of tapping with his wand, the bricks started moving and the Passage into Diagon Alley formed. ' _Have to remember that brick for next time.'_ Harry thought.

Adjusting the baseball cap, Harry marched into Diagon Alley, his first destination was Gringotts. Harry knew that if he wasn't able to get some money the rest of his plans might fail. He might be able to steal some of the stuff he needed using his father's invisibility cloak, telling himself ' _I can pay them back later when I van get some money'_. The problem with this was there was too much of a chance to get caught. Deciding to put off the decision until later, Harry entered through the door to Gringotts.

Walking up to an empty teller, Harry asked "Excuse me…I would like to get some money from my vault but I don't have my key."

The goblin looked at Harry with a bored expression and said in a voice just below a sneer "Replacement key's cost 5 galleons and you will have to see your account manager or go the Identification Department."

" I'm not sure if I have an account manager." Replied Harry

The Goblin starting to look annoyed now asked "What's the name on the vault."

"Potter" Harry whispered. He didn't want anyone overhearing.

"Potter" the Goblin said louder than Harry would have liked. "You definitely have an account manager. The name's… Barkaxe."

"Really! I never knew that." Harry said sounding surprised. "Why didn't I meet him when I came here three years ago?

"How should I know? The Goblin responded, definitely sneering now. "If you didn't have your key you should have seen him then. How did you get into a vault if you didn't have your key? The goblin asked looking subspecialty at Harry.

"Oh, the person that brought me here had my key on him." Harry replied in a calm voice. He didn't want to draw too much attention to himself, and starting an argument with a goblin would be sure to draw unwanted attention.

"Well if you had your key, there would be no reason to see your account manager for just a simple withdrawal." The Goblin said, back in a bored tone of voice. Harry figured it was their normal tone. "It's pretty stupid to let someone else have access to your key."

"I didn't know anything about it at the time…" Harry said a little defensively. "…but your right. Do you know how I can meet my account manager?"

"Over there" pointing at a door to the left of the teller windows. "Go through the doors and to the window on the left. Ask the goblin at the window to see your account manager. Give your name and the account manager's name, and they will see if he is available."

"Thank you Mr…"

"Blackfang. Just Blackfang"

"Thank you Blackfang." Harry said, then turned and headed to the door. Entering Harry saw the goblin right where Balckfang said he (She, It) would be. Walking up to the window, Harry spoke "I would like to see Barkaxe please."

Not even looking up the goblin replied in the same bored tone as Blackfang. "And who is I?"

' _Yup, must be the Goblin normal tone of voice._ ' Harry thought _._ Looking around and seeing no one nearby except a goblin guard Harry replied "Harry Potter."

The Goblin, now looking up but in the same tone of voice said "Really? Hold on, I'll see if he is available."

Coming back to the window about two minitus later "Barkaxe can see you now Mr. Potter, third door on the right. His name will be on the door."

"Thank you Mr…"

"Bloodfist"

Thank you Bloodfist." Harry started walking up the hall and the third door did have Barkaxe's name on it. Harry knocked and the door opened automatically.

"Come in Mr. Potter, and take a seat." Said the goblin behind the desk that Harry assumed was Barkaxe.

Harry entered the room and looked around on his way to the offered seat. The office looked like what Harry assumed any normal office would look like. A large wooden desk, two uncomfortable looking chairs on one side and a comfortable looking chair that Barkaxe was sitting on. The walls were lined with filing cabinets and a small end table with what looked like some type of alcohol and glasses behind and to the left of Barkaxe. The only thing magical in the room that Harry noticed was the dangerous looking weapons on the walls, and of course the Goblin behind the desk. Barkaxe was dressed in what looked like to Harry as a 17th century style business suit, "Thank you for seeing me Barkaxe."

"That's my job Mr. Potter. Now what can I help you with?"

"I wanted to withdraw some money but I don't have my key." Harry shrugged.

"You don't have your key?" Barkaxe said with some concern in his voice. "Why don't you have your key? Did you lose it?"

"I never had my key." Harry said a little petulantly. "The first time I came here Hagrid had my key. The next year Molly Weasley got my school supplies and gave me a small money pouch. The next year I used the money I had on me to buy my school supplies. Hagrid also visited me and gave me some more money."

"You never had your key? Most irregular." Barkaxe started looking through a stack of papers on his desk "Yes, Here it is, Albus Dumbledore authorized a Molly Weasley to withdraw 25 Galleons on August 5th 1992, and a Rubeus Hagrid on August 5th 1993."

"How did Dumbledore authorize anyone to access my vault? Does that mean that Dumbledore has access to my money?" Harry almost shouted.

Rifling through the papers in front of him, Barkaxe spoke said, "Dumbledore is listed as your magical guardian. As a Ministry appointed guardian he has authority to withdraw money up to 50 galleons each year for school supplies and necessities. Anything over the 50 Galleon limit would have to also be approved by your account manager, me. He also can monitor both of the Potter vaults"

"The Ministry appointed Dumbledore as my magical guardian? And what do you mean both Potter vaults? I have more than one vault?" Harry said, shocked to his core.

Barkaxe looked surprised "No one ever told you about your family vault? Your guardian should've made sure you were informed by your 11th birthday. It's their responsibility as your guardian."

"No. No one told me anything, and I didn't know I even had a guardian until you just told me." Harry said. He thought to himself ' _Why doesn't it surprise me that there is more that Dumbledore hasn't told me that I should know?'_

"Most irregular." Barkaxe lifted a piece of paper. "There doesn't seem to be anything unusual in the withdrawals from the trust vault. 39 galleons 11 sickles withdrawn on July 31st 1991 to Harry Potter, 25 galleons on August 5th 1992 to Molly Weasley, and 25 galleons on August 5th 1993 to Rubeus Hagrid. The family vault still remains inactive."

"Family vault?" Harry asked, nonplussed.

"Yes, the Potter Family vault. I'm sorry to tell you this, but you won't have access to that vault until you come of age."

Harry sat there quietly for a few moments. ' _I have a family vault? Too bad I can't get access to the money until I'm 17. It would come in handy but 50 galleons might not be enough to do what I need, actually only 25 galleons if Dumbledore is going to take out 25 galleons on the 5th. I don't know how comfortable I am with Dumbledore having access and being able to monitor my accounts.'_ Aloud Harry asked "I can only take out 50 Galleons each year?"

"Your Ministry appointed guardian can only withdraw 50 galleons a year. You have access up to 200 galleons a year, according to how your parents set up the vault."

"200 Galleons…wow! But Dumbledore would know if I took out the money, right?"

"Correct. It appears that you are concerned with Dumbledore having access to your vault? I can see how some of his actions could cause you some concerns. Is this correct?

"Other than just finding out he is my guardian, he seems to have a habit of not telling me things I should know. My family vault is just one example. I have come to realize that I can't trust him to look out for my best interests."

"That seems to be a little extreme Mr. Potter."

"There are other examples, but I don't feel comfortable discussing them."

"I understand, your reasons are your own." They sat quietly for a few minutes. "I might have a solution for you Mr. Potter. Your parent's set up a… secret account under your mother's maiden name. As her son you have access to this account. It was set up with no restrictions, so you have full access to all the contents. The Account was set up as to be unmonitored by the Ministry."

"So there is a vault under the name Lilly Evans?"

"Yes."

"And I have full access?"

"Yes."

"And nobody knows about it?"

"Only those whom your parents would have told."

"And how much money is in this account?" Harry asked, excitement showing in his voice.

Barkaxe looked thru a few pages on his desk and removing a sheet from around the bottom of the stack "500,000 galleons."

"500 000 GALLEONS!" Harry shouted "And I have access to ALL of it?"

"Yes."

Harry sat back in his chair. After a few moments he asked, "If there is so much in the secret vault, how much do I have in my other vaults?"

"Let's see… 9,910 Galleons and 6 Sickles in your trust vault, and 14,851,426 Galleons 12 Sickles and 3 Knut's in the Potter Family vault. Plus other items of unknown monetary value."

Harry was stunned. Doing a quick conversion to muggle money in his head, he figured that Lilly's account made him a millionaire. But the money in the family vault made him a Billionaire… no a Trillionaire! He almost fainted. "How… how can I have so much money?" Harry spoke with a shaky voice.

"The Potter Family is An Ancient and Noble Family. They have been around for many generations and have acquired land and wealth over this time. They have also been conservative, but smart investors."

"I'm from an Ancient and Noble House?" ' _Anoother thing Dumbass never told me.'_ Harry thought feeling surprised and a little angry. "And I have land? Does this mean I have a house?"

"You have several houses, some of which are rented out to many different families and businesses. I'm sorry to say that like your vault, you won't have access to the properties until you are of age."

"Why not?" Harry asked, disappointment showing on his face.

With the Potter will being sealed by the Wizengamot, and with no other arrangements being made with Gringotts, all Potter accounts have been frozen pending the Heir reaching adult status on their 17th birthday or by being declared an adult by the Wizengamot. All rents are still collected but the rates cannot be altered."

"The Wizengamot sealed my parent's will? Why?" Harry suspected Dumbass's hand in this. He was the Chief Warlock at that time.

"We never received a satisfactory answer to this. We were only told it contained ' _State Secrets'_." Barkaxe didn't seem impressed with the Ministry's answer. "So what can Gringotts help you with today Mr. Potter?"

Harry straightened up in his chair; he didn't even realize he was slouching. "I would like to withdraw some money. I would also like to ask a few questions and maybe a… favor or two?"

"Questions pertaining to standard account transactions are part of my job as your account manager. Anything beyond this, the answers, if I can give them, will cost a fee. Favors are the same, only at a higher fee."

From what Harry had heard about Goblins, this didn't surprise him. With access to the Evan's vault he figured he would definitely be able to afford anything he might need to purchase and the answers to some of the questions he had. "OK, sounds fair. First question… is everything we discuss in here confidential? You don't have to tell my guardian or anyone else?"

"Every Gringotts customer is afforded confidentiality Mr. Potter. Your guardian can monitor both Potter vaults and the Ministry can request Information if an account has had any activity. They will not be told what that activity was of course. They would also have to ask about a specific account, not just about a person's personal activity. I also don't see a reason to inform your guardian of anything spoken here."

Harry gave a relieved sigh, his summer plans might still work. In fact they might be easier now. "OK. Is there any way to use magic in a muggle area and not be caught by the Ministry?"

"Yes."

There was silence for about a minute before Harry asked "And what are those ways?"

The answer will cost you 6 Sickles Mr. Potter."

"Agreed."

"The most secure way that I can think of is to ward the property with a Fidelus charm and make it unplottable. If this is not possible, then a enchanted trunk that I have heard about from some of our more… less legal conscious clients. If memory serves, it is a multi-compartment trunk. One of the compartments is expanded to the size of a small flat and is warded to keep any magic performed inside undetectable."

"THAT SOUNDS PERFECT! Where can I find a trunk like that?" Harry asked excitedly.

"The answer will cost you 5 Sickles" Barkaxe responded, his tone not changing.

' _Of course… two questions, two fee's, I'll have to be more careful in what I ask.'_ Harry thought to himself. "Agreed."

The closest and safest place that you can get one is in a shop called Borgin & Burkes. It is located in…"

"Knockturn Alley." Harry finished for him.

"I see you've heard of it?" Barkaxe asked, a little surprised.

"I've accidentally been there once about two years ago. Floo mishap."

"I see, any other questions?"

"Yes. Is there any way I can get my health checked by a doctor privately… and how would I arrange to see him secretly?"

"The answer for 2 Sickles."

"Agreed."

"If you are not afraid, we can have you visit one of our goblin healers at this Location, discretion is guaranteed. We can also arrange for a wizard healer to visit you at a location of your choosing. Gringotts trusts these healers, but we can't guarantee their discretion. There will be a fee of 6 galleons for the examination if done by the goblins, or a service fee of 2 galleons to set up an appointment with the wizard healer. His fee will be between the two of you."

' _It would be nice to have a healer that could come to me, but where would he come to? Right now secrecy is the most important thing, and I'm not afraid of goblins.'_ Harry thought, out loud he said, "Ok. I'll go to the goblin healer. When can I see him?"

"I can arrange an appointment right after this meeting concludes." Barkaxe spoke while pulling a blank piece of parchment in front of him.

"Wow, that's convent. Yes please set it up." Harry was feeling relieved. ' _Things are going good so far.'_

"Any other questions?" Barkaxe replied while writing on the piece of parchment then setting it in an empty tray on his desk. A moment later it disappeared.

"Yes. Are there any books you can recommend that will help me train my magic? Are there any books II should get to help me know what to expect and that can help me prepare for my future in the wizarding world? Can you make me a list?" Harry asked hopefully.

"I don't really know many titles of the wizarding books that are available, but I can provide you with a list of subjects that will prove helpful. For a fee of 15 Sickles. I would also recommend asking Mr. Borgin about what books he might have on the subjects that he carries that are not Ministry Approved."

"Agreed" Harry was a little disappointed in not getting any specific titles, but anything will help.

"Anything else?"

"Do you know where I might acquire a…Time Turner?"

"1 Sickle."

Harry was surprised the price was so low, but responded "Agreed."

"I'm not certain, but Mr. Borgin has been known to find certain items for good customers."

Harry now understood the low price. He received a suggestion, not an answer. "I might be making some large purchases today Barkaxe. Is there a way to carry a large amount of galleons around without looking like I'm carrying around a lot of gold? It doesn't seem like a good idea to advertise my wealth in a place like Knockturn Alley."

"Quite right. We offer an expanded money pouch to our wealthier clients. It looks just like the regular money pouches we normally offer to our regular clients, but it has a few special features. It is expanded on the inside to allow storage of proximally 100,000 Galleons. Most clients don't store that amount, but the space is available to them. It also has a special security feature; the pouch can be set to your magical signature. It can't be opened by anyone else, unless you key in their magical signature too. Be warned, a powerful enough or skilled enough individual will be able to break these protections. This applies to all magic, so keep that in mind before completely trusting anything." Barkaxe warned. "The fee for this pouch is 5 galleons."

After a few moments Harry spoke. "I'll take one... If the price includes the information on how to key other people into the pouch."

"Very good Mr. Potter." Barkaxe gave an approximation of a grin, "It will be ready by the time you are ready to visit your vault. Anything else?"

"Yes. I have to spend most of the summer in the muggle world. Do you convert magical currency into muggle currency? Do you have any connections to a muggle bank and can you set up an account, or will I have to set it up myself?" Harry asked curiously.

"We can convert your magical money into muggle money at one Pound for one sickle and a 5 % fee. We can also set up an account in a muggle bank for 2 galleons. There is also a 2 % fee on any money transferred. We even provide suitable muggle identification for a fee of 5 galleons."

Harry thought the fees were pretty high but since he didn't know how to set up a muggle bank account, or even if he could, being underage, he would accept the cost. He also didn't want his ' _family'_ to know about his money, so he asked "Does the muggle bank account or identification have to have my real name on it?"

"Of course not, Mr. Potter. We find that most clients that use this service prefer an alias. You will have to provide the information for your new identity. We then set up all relevant documentation. Everything appears normal to the muggles. Even their government won't be able to tell that the documents are false." Barkaxe responded smugly.

"I definitely want that Barkaxe. What to you need for the identification?" Harry said excitedly.

"We need a name, date of birth, location of birth, and location of current residence. We can use any location you choose, but I would recommend letting Gringotts chose your current address. We can set up a Post Office box to receive any correspondence that you may receive in the muggle world and have it forwarded to you. It would be located in London at a location we control. Of course there is a fee of 10 sickles to set up and 3 sickles a month to maintain."

"That sounds useful. Ok, set it up. My name will be..." Harry thought for a few moments "... Evan James. I was born in London and my birthday is October 31st. I was born in the year..." Harry tried to decide if he should be older, younger, or stay the same age? Deciding he could get away with saying he was a year older, Harry announced "1979."

Writing everything Harry said down on a piece of parchment, Barkaxe replied "Very good Mr. Potter. We will set up an account with Barklay's in London. If you will sign your new name on the bottom of this parchment, we can start setting up your new account. You will be able to adjust your account at the bank. How much would you like to transfer into this account?"

"I would like to transfer a total of 1 million pounds into my new account. I would like it if the fees could be taken from my Evan's Gringotts vault."

"That can be arranged." Barkaxe said while writing on a piece of parchment. After placing it the tray, he spoke. "This account takes about an hour to set up, everything should be completed by the time you finish with the healer."

So far this day was going good. Harry discovered he was filthy rich, found out information on how to secretly train... Or at least where to get the information, and now he had a new secret identity. It might have been expensive but definitely worth it, he could afford it after all. "Thank you for all of your help so far Barkaxe. Now for the favor I asked about earlier. Would it be possible for Gringotts to provide me with a way to hide my identity while I do some shopping in Knockturn and Diagonal Alley?"

"Yes."

Harry realized he didn't ask what the way might be. "What can be done, and what will the fee be?"

Barkaxe smirked, a dangerous look on a Goblin, and spoke. "We can place a special Goblin Notice Me Not and Confundus Charm on you. It lasts got about 5 hours. This charm makes anyone who is looking at you not notice or recall any of your specific features. This service costs a fee of 2 galleons."

"That sounds perfect! But it only lasts 5 hours? What if I need more time?"

"There are certain objects that can maintain similar charms for longer periods. But Ministry laws prohibit us from selling said items"

"And where might i find said items? Let me guess. Borgin & Burkes?"

"One sickle."

"Fine."

"Yes."

Harry groaned' "Can I have the charm applied right before I leave the bank?"

"The healer can cast the charm on you at the end of your appointment, unless you require any other services. In which case, you would come back to my office to apply it."

"I'm definitely going to get that charm. If I have any more questions later do I have set up an appointment? Do I just come in or can I owl you?"

"You can owl me if you choose, but anything involved with the movement of funds has to be done in person unless previous arrangements have been made. Also, owls aren't a secure form of communication. With your secrecy issues, I would not recommend putting anything in a letter you want to keep private. I should normally be available if you come in, but if you know beforehand when you will be visiting me an appointment would be recommended."

Harry thought for a moment. That seemed like prudent advice. He figured that over the summer it would be easy to sneak back to London if he needed to adjust anything with his accounts, or if he needed anything from Diagon or Knockturn Alley. It would be harder once he got back to Hogwarts, but he could always use the secret passageways to get out. "Sounds good. I think I am ready for the healer now."

"Let's arrange to take you to your vault. First, just to be clear, which vault do you want to visit and which vault will all the fees and transfers be removed from? And will you need new Keys?"

"Everything from the Lilly Evans vault please. And yes, I would like a new key for both the trust vault and Evans vault."

"Do you want do deactivate any keys that are in another's custody?"

"No... Leave the others alone… for now."

"Very well, follow me Mr. Potter." Barkaxe stood up and left the office. "First we need to pick up your new money pouch." Walking back to the window that Harry first approached when he entered, Barkaxe spoke to Bloodfist in gobbledygook. He handed Barkaxe a pouch, 3 pieces of parchment, 2 keys, and an envelope "Here if your new keys for the Evans and Potter trust vault." He said handing over one gold, and one black key. "The gold key is a standard key for your trust vault. The black key has to be set up to recognize your magical signature. We will set this up at the same time we set up your pouch. In fact let's do that now." He handed Harry the pouch. "Hold the pouch in your wand hand and try to cast a spell as if the pouch was a wand. You don't have to say the spell aloud, just try to get the feeling of casting a spell. This is called 'pushing your magic.' Most people find the Lumos spell to be easiest. We will need to do three steps to complete this ritual."

"Is the same ritual that I need to do to allow someone else access to my vault or money pouch?"

"Yes but there is five steps for that ritual. Everything is explained on this parchment." Barkaxe pointed to one of the pieces of parchment on the desk. "Now put the pouch in your palm and hold it out. I will put my hand on top of yours with the pouch between us. I will speak a few words. When I finish, push your magic into the pouch. This will cause it to recognize your magical signature. After that I will speak again to conclude the ritual. We will repeat this for the key."

Harry held his palm out with the pouch on top. Barkaxe placed his hand over Harry's and started to speak in Gobbledygook. Harry started to get a little concerned. He didn't know Gobbledygook. Barkaxe was quiet and so Harry tried to push his magic into the pouch. He noticed strange symbols on the pouch glow slightly. Barkaxe started speaking in Gobbledygook again and when he stopped, the symbols faded.

"There, the pouch now recognizes your magical signature. Well done Mr. Potter, some wizards have trouble with this ritual."

"It didn't seem that hard, but I don't know any Gobbledygook. How will I be able to perform this if I can't speak the language?" Harry asked, a little concerned.

"This parchment has the words used spelled out phonetically. With practice you should be able to get it. If not you can always come here to get it done. For a fee."

Harry took the offered parchment and looked it over. It seemed to be relatively easy to understand, but there were 5 steps listed unlike the 3 steps Barkaxe used. "There seems to be 5 steps on this list, why the difference?"

"The steps we took were on a blank pouch, meaning that it had no magical signature attached to it. To add an extra signature the first 2 steps have to be used to recognize your authority to change the settings and then allow the addition of another magical signature. The following three steps are the same."

"Ok. That makes sense, otherwise anyone can add their own magical signature if they get a hold of my pouch or key."

"True. There are other ways to attach your magical signature to an object, but this is the most secure.  
Now let's do your vault key." After the ritual was complete, Barkaxe handed Harry the envelope. "This is your new muggle identification."

Harry opened the envelope and saw that there was a birth certificate with the name Evan James on it. There was also a rental agreement with a London address listed. Finally there was what looked like a muggle passport. It had all his false information on it, but no photo. "There's no photo on the I.D."

"We have to do a similar ritual to the one used on your pouch and key. It locks in your magical signature but allow you to change the photo. We will provide the first photo. To change it you need to set a photo over the previous one and send a pulse of your magic into the I.D. This will change it. The first two steps of the ritual are the same but the third step is a little different. Now Mr. Potter book over here and prepare for a flash." Barkaxe spoke while pointing behind Harry.

Harry turned around and was almost blinded by the flash. When his vision cleared he saw that there was a photo of him that didn't move. It was like a normal photo, not a wizard photo.

"Now Mr. Potter place this photo over the square needed for the photo and send a pulse of your magic."  
Harry did as asked and was surprised when the photo shrunk and fit in the designated Square. It now looks like a real ID. "Will any photo work?" Harry asked.

"Any photo, but remember it will show the complete image of what is in the photo so you might need to crop the image before attaching it." Barkaxe then handed Harry one of the two pieces of parchment 'This is the list of suggested subjects for you to look into. And this..." Barkaxe handed Harry the final piece of parchment "Is a receipt for all services provided so far."

Harry took the parchment and looked it over. He saw the total and thought ' _That's a lot of money!. Everything seemed to checks out OK.'_ "Thank you Barkaxe. I didn't know what to expect when I first arrived at Gringotts, but you have been most helpful."

"It seemed that today is a profitable day for both of us. Now let me call Smashrock to take you to your vault and then to the healer." At that moment a goblin appeared at Barkaxe's side "Take Mr. Potter to vault 1136. When he has finished his business there, escort him to healer Sharpblade."

The goblin nodded and said "Follow me Mr. Potter."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Two Startling Diagnosis

The ride down to vault 1136 was just as Harry remembered his first trip to his trust vault was like three years ago. Harry held on for dear life, but was enjoying the ride immensely; it was the closest thing to flying he had experienced so far. After a few minutes the cart pulled up to a ledge with two vault doors. Harry read 1135 on the first door then looked at the next door and read 1136.

The goblin spoke, "Key please."

Harry handed him the key and watched as the goblin put it in his right hand and placed his left hand in the vault door. There was a slight glow of the vault door and then it creaked open. The goblin stepped aside and Harry walked into the vault. The various and plentiful piles of gold coins stopped Harry in his tracks. Harry knew that there was going to be a lot of galleons, but actually seeing it for himself made him almost stagger. For several minutes Harry couldn't move, his mind not quite grasping that all of this was his. The next thought he had was, " _And I have another vault that dwarfs this one! Oh my God!"_ This thought brought Harry back to the moment. " _OK. I need to get my money now. I think about 50.000 should more than cover anything I'll need."_

While Harry was filling his money pouch, he started to look around the vault. In one corner he noticed a bookcase with a few books and many objects that he couldn't identify from where he was standing. After about five minutes of scooping money into his pouch, Harry walked over to the bookcase. Looking at all the objects on the shelves he saw about ten books on various subjects, several jewelry cases with many necklaces, rings, bracelets, earrings and other unidentifiable pieces. Harry then noticed something that made his heart skip a beat. On the bottom shelf there was a box that contained photos. Harry immediately started looking through the box and was holding back tears as he looked at a picture of his mother, father and himself as a baby. Both his parents were smiling at him and the camera while his younger self was flailing his arms around.

Harry has seen other similar pictures before, Hagrid's gift to him at the end of his first year sprang to mind, but these were his parents own personal pictures. He now had something else that belonged to his parents. There were other pictures of his parents at various ages and with different people, some Harry recognized and others he had no clue about. There were also a few muggle pictures of Lily and her sister, and who Harry assumed were their parents, his grandparents. Aunt Petunia didn't have any pictures of her family back at Privet Drive, only pictures of Dudley, Vernon and herself, so he couldn't be sure.

After looking at the pictures for about five minutes, Harry started to put the box back on the shelf. Wiping his eyes, he didn't know when he started crying, Harry spotted a rectangular box hidden behind where the picture box had rested. Taking out the rectangular box, he opened it and was surprised to find two wands inside. ' _Spare wands! Smart.'_ Harry thought while looking at the wands, ' _I wonder if I can use them?'_

Harry picked up the first wand and felt a slight tingle in his fingers. ' _I feel something, not as strong as my old wand but it's still a good sign.'_ Harry put back the first wand and picked up the second. Silver sparks erupted out the wand tip and a stronger tingling sensation traveled through Harrys' entire body. ' _Wow! I'm definitely taking this with me_.'

Harry put the wand and the books in his backpack, looked around the vault again and securing his money pouch walked out of the vault to the waiting goblin. "Sorry for taking so long." Harry spoke to the goblin who said nothing and beckoned Harry to the cart. After another "Fun" ride back to the main entrance, Harry followed the goblin as he led him to his next appointment with healer Sharpblade. They walked down many different hallways with numerous twists and turns. ' _If I ever get lost down here I'll never find my way out_.' Harry thought and made sure to stay close to the goblin.

They arrived at a door at the end of a particularly long hallway and the goblin said, "Here you are Mr. Potter." and he opened a door with no name on it. "Wait here and healer Sharpblade will be with you shortly."

Harry walked into the room. "Thank you…sorry, I never got your name." he said realizing that he forgot the goblins name.

"Smashrock." The goblin replied then turned around and left the room, closing the door behind him.

Harry, nonplussed at the goblins quick exit, started to look around the room. In the center of the room there was what looked like an examination table. The reason Harry wasn't sure was because it was made of stone and was only about one foot off the ground. ' _Of course._ ' Harry thought, ' _It's sized to fit goblins. Duh!_ ' Continuing to look around, he spotted a locked cabinet along the far wall and what looked like a sink next to a table with many ancient and dangerous looking instruments. Harry hoped those wouldn't be involved in his examination. Other than two small empty tables and what Harry assumed was a chair, the room was empty. Harry sat on the examination table and waited.

About thirty minutes later a goblin dressed in a red shirt and pants combo that Harry assumed was a healer uniform, entered the room and introduced himself, "Mr. Potter, I am Healer Sharpblade." Sharpblade walked over to the locked cabinet and saying a few words in Gobbeldygook, opened the doors. He took out four orbs of what Harry assumed were made of Obsidian with runes carved on all sides. Walking toward the sink, not even looking at Harry he asked, "What do you need human?"

Harry, a little surprised by the rudeness of the healer responded, "I… I wanted to get a full diagnosis and treatment for my previous injuries and previous malnutrition. Can you also fix my eyes?"

"Didn't they treat you at Hogwarts Mr. Potter?" Sharpblade asked, still not looking at Harry.

"Madam Pomfrey fixed up all the injuries I came to the hospital ward with, but I never received any treatment for anything that happened to me before I got to Hogwarts. I've not asked about my eyes before, but I feel I wouldn't get a good response."

"There is nothing we can do for your eyes here at Gringotts. There is a shop in Diagon Alley that specializes in eyes. As for an examination, that will be no problem." Finally turning to Harry, he walked to the table and put his hand on its side and said some more in Gobbledygook. The table rose about one foot and expanded to the length of Harry's body. "Remove any magical items you have on yourself and lie back Mr. Potter."

Harry set his backpack, money pouch, and wand on one of the empty tables and then lied down, "Should I remove my robes?

"Did I ask you to remove your robes?" Sharpblade grumbled.

"N-No." Harry stuttered back.

"Then keep your robes on and lie down and stay still." Sharpblade retorted grumpily while walking around the table, placing an orb in an indentation on each corner. Speaking again in Gobbledygook, the orbs started to softly glow. There was a slight hum in Harry's ears and he felt a shiver run down his whole body. It was like passing through a ghost without the accompanying cold sensation.

After lying there for around five minutes, watching multiple colored flashes coming from the orbs Harry thought, ' _I should probably learn Gobbledygook. I'll probably be doing a lot of business with Gringotts and it would be good to know what is going on. I wonder what's taking so long? It's never this long with Madam Pomfrey._ ' He started to get a little nervous when the humming got more intense along with the flashes. About one minute later they both stopped.

'You can sit up Mr. Potter." Harry sat up and looked around the room again. He noticed the orbs had all changed colors. One was now green mixed with white, one was a pale red, one was gold, and the last was black. It looked and even felt to be a darker, more sinister black than it was before. After about a minute Sharpblade spoke, "An Intriguing case Mr. Potter. There are signs of malnutrition, several fractures and various lacerations. Most of which seem to be in the past, though not all. This was to be expected. What I didn't expect was the… let's say extra…complications with your wellbeing."

"Extra complications?" Harry gulped, "What do you mean?"

"For starters, there is Basilisk venom on your veins, you should be dead. The phoenix tears that also run through your veins seem to be counteracting the venom. It even seems to be doing you some good. Your natural rate of healing is higher than a normal wizard and you seem to be partially immune to most poisons. How, if I may ask, did you get this peculiar mix into your blood Mr. Potter?" Sharpblade asked, seeming interested in anything to do with Harry for the first time.

"A little over a year ago I fought and killed a thousand year old Basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets at Hogwarts. He bit me as I stabbed him with a sword, I thought I was going to die until Fawkes, that's Dumbledore's Phoenix, cried in the wound and healed me. I would have thought that it would have left my system by now?"

"You fought a Basilisk and not only survived but killed it when you were only...?"

"Twelve." Harry Shrugged.

"Twelve! Most Impressive, Mr. Potter." Sharpblade gave Harry an appraising look. For the first time it seemed to Harry that Sharpblade showed him some respect, or at least not overt rudeness. "I'm surprised I haven't heard of this before, a thousand year Basilisk would dramatically shift the market for Basilisk products. Did you sell it overseas? I understand the market in Asia has a huge demand."

Harry stared at Sharpblade nonplussed, "Sell it? No I didn't sell it. As far as I know it is still in the chamber."

"Sharpblade looked shocked, even more shocked then he seemed when Harry said he killed a Basilisk, "Are you telling me that there is a thousand year old Basilisk just lying in a chamber at Hogwarts? That you haven't claimed your kill and reaped the profits?"

"As far as I know it is still there. Only a few people know the entrance to the chamber, and I am the only one I know of that can open it up." Harry thought ' _Dumbledore might be able to get in using Fawkes_.'

A moment of silence passed before Sharpblade said, "The first chance you get you should check on the status of the body. If it is still there you should claim it and contact your account manager or someone else you trust, to arrange a sale of the parts. They could fetch you a small fortune. I'm surprised you didn't claim it sooner."

"I didn't know that I could do anything with it." Harry thought, ' _Another thing I didn't know about the magical world that no one bothered to tell me. When I get back to Hogwarts I'm going to have to check it out. If it isn't there, I'm going to be pissed at Dumbledore!_ ' Harry was starting to feel a little angry. Taking a calming breath Harry said, "I don't really need any more money, but letting it go to waste seems like a bad idea. I'll speak to Barkaxe and arrange something. Was that the only complication you found?"

Sharpblade refocused on the orbs and said, "There are a few others. You are suffering from malnutrition. It is not too extreme and can be fixed with a few potions. Then there is some sort of unknown protective magic imbued through your entire body. It is un-harmful, like I said protective, but I can't identify what it is or where it came from. If you consent to a more specialized examination, for an additional fee, we might be able to identify the magic. There is no guarantee though."

"No, that's alright. I believe it came from my mother's sacrifice to protect me when Voldemort came to kill me. Dumbledore believes it is what rebounded Voldemort's killing curse that left me with this scar." Harry lifted his fringe and showed Sharpblade his famous scar. "I'll leave it alone if it's all the same."

"As you wish, and speaking about your scar. That is the most troubling diagnosis. It is teeming with an unidentifiable dark magic. It is very strong and your own magic appears to be fighting it, or at least holding it at bay. Has it bothered you in the past?"

"Yeah it has. Every time… every time Voldemort was near me. Is there anything you can do to get rid of it?" Harry asked, concern lacing his voice.

"I would have to run a more specialized test, and might have to get someone else to consult, depending on what the results are. And what do you mean when Voldemort was near you? When could Voldemort possibly be near you?"

Harry debated whether to say anything. Realizing that Sharpblade said Voldemort's name without flinching like most people he had met so far, Harry decided to trust this goblin with the information, "In my first year a professor was possessed by the spirit of Voldemort. He was trying to steal the Philosopher's Stone that Dumbledore had hidden at Hogwarts, the same stone that he tried to steal from Gringotts at the end of that summer. I believe from vault 713. Every time I was near the possessed professor my scar would hurt. There was a confrontation at the end of the school year and the professor died, Voldemort's spirit escaped, and the stone was destroyed." Harry responded with no emotion. "I was also in the hospital wing for about a week after the confrontation."

"Let me see if I understand you…" Sharpblade spoke in a quiet tone, "Voldemort possessed one of your professors and broke into Gringotts?"

"Yes."

"And you knew this when?" Sharpblade said in an even quieter voice.

Harry wasn't sure why there was such a change in Sharpblade's tone and responded warily, "At the end of the school year when I confronted him. I originally thought another professor was trying to steal the stone. I didn't know that Voldemort possessed him until then. I just thought he was trying to steal it to bring Voldemort back."

"And you didn't feel it was important to inform Gringotts the Identity of the thief? " Sharpblade's tone was icy now.

Harry gulped, "I didn't wake up until several days later. I assumed Dumbledore would have informed you. Looking back I realize that Dumbledore probably wouldn't want anyone to know that Voldemort was trying to come back. Sorry, I didn't know any better. In my defense, I was only eleven and expected the grownups to handle it"

Sharpblade's tone softened a bit, "Were there any other times your scar hurt?"

"Yes actually. When I fought the Basilisk there was an object…a diary that contained a memory of a young Voldemort. It was draining the life energy out of a student to bring it back to life. When I fought it I felt a lesser pain in my scar. I stabbed the diary with a Basilisk fang and the … memory was destroyed. The student recovered and I didn't think anything else about it."

"Those are some interesting stories Mr. Potter. " Sharpblade's tone was back to normal. "When this examination is over I want you to attend a meeting with our bank director."

This sounded like a normal statement but Harry felt like it was a command. "Sure, not a problem. Do you know why my scar hurts whenever Voldemort is near me?"

I have a few theories, but I won't know unless I do more tests."

After a pause, "I definitely want the specialized exam of my scar. How much?"

"I will have to bring in a specialist and the required ritual is complicated…20 Galleons." Sharpblade looked at the black orb again and said, "If it is what I think it is, there will probably be another ritual to rid you of it. That will cost an additional fee of 200 Galleons… if it is what I think it is."

Harry didn't even hesitate, "OK, set it up."

"Wait here Mr. Potter and I will fetch the specialist." Sharpblade walked out the door, shutting it behind him, and Harry was left alone. Twenty long, boring minutes passed before Sharpblade returned with another goblin following. This Mr. Potter is Chief Cursebreaker Swiftdeath. He is the specialist I mentioned before." Swiftdeath nodded at Harry but didn't say a word. He was carrying a bag that looked like it weighed as much as he did.

Turning his back on Harry, Swiftdeath placed the bag down in the corner of the room and spoke some words in gobbledygook. The bag glowed gold and Swiftdeath started pulling out a variety of instruments and attaching them to a vest he had just pulled out and put on. Turning back to Harry, Swiftdeath said "Now Mr. Potter, let's have a look at that scar. Lie back down."

Lying down, Harry noticed Swiftdeath replace the two orbs at the top of the table with two new white orbs. "I will be focusing some spells at you scar now Mr. Potter. You might feel some warmth and a little pain." Swiftdeath started what seemed like a chant in Gobbledygook and almost immediately Harrys scar started to burn.

Harry, holding in the scream he so wanted to release thought ' _If this is a little warmth and a little pain, I don't want to know what a painful experience would mean to a goblin.'_ The chanting and accompanying pain seemed to go on for hours but was only around one minute. When Swiftdeath stopped chanting and the burning sensation stopped, Harry released a breath he didn't know he was holding in. "Ow!"

"Quite. Lay still for a minute Mr. Potter. When you regain your strength sit up and we can continue." Said Swiftdeath. Harry could hear Swiftdeath and Sharpblade speaking in Gobbledygook, and a little while later sat up. Looking around Harry saw that the two previously white orbs were now cracked down the middle. One had turned Black, and the other seemed to be half blood red and appeared to be bleeding. The other half was still white. ' _Could a stone bleed?'_

"Excellent, you're up." Sharpblade spoke. "In consulting with Swiftdeath, we have determined that the problem with your scar is that it is a Horcrux, as I suspected."

"A Horcrux… what is a Horcrux? Is it dangerous?" Harry asked. He never heard of a Horcrux before, and had no idea of what it meant. Of course he was concerned but he had no clue of how serious the situation was.

"A Horcrux, Mr. Potter is a vile piece of Dark Magic that splinters the soul and places the broken piece in an object." Swiftdeath replied.

"I have a splintered soul?" Harry gasped out.

"No Mr. Potter, There is a piece of someone else's soul in your scar." Sharpblade answered.

Harry was starting to freak out. "A piece of someone's soul in my scar? Who's…of course, It's Voldemort's, isn't it?"

Sharpblade replied to the question. "From your history and what we have discussed, we believe so Mr. Potter." Harrys mind was reeling. What did this say about him? Did it mean…what did it mean? Sharpblade continued. "We believe the night Voldemort attacked you as a baby, when the Killing Curse rebounded, a piece of Voldemort's soul attached itself to the scar on your forehead."

"How could that have happened?" asked Harry.

Swiftdeath started, "We believe that Voldemort was trying to make a Horcrux with your death. With a Horcrux you can survive if your mortal shell is destroyed. With part of your soul safe in a Horcrux, you will not pass on to the afterlife unless the Horcrux is destroyed. Creating a Horcrux means that you have mutilated part of your soul and you lose some of your humanity. Part of the ritual to create a Horcrux requires the sacrifice of an innocent soul, such as a baby. It is not a pleasant experience living with a mutilated soul. The ritual wasn't a complete success as you're still alive and your scar doesn't register as a true Horcrux. But from what you have told Sharpblade, the effect of not passing on did occur."

Harry thought that a Horcrux was seriously dark magic, "What do you mean it doesn't register as a true Horcrux? Am I one or not?"

Swiftdeath answered "Most Horcrux's are inanimate objects for a reason. The soul has its own consciousness and will consume whatever it is attached to, so attaching it to a living thing will cause conflict, whereas with an inanimate object there will be no conflict. It seems that your magic is keeping the piece of Voldemort's soul from consuming you, and since the killing curse rebounded and destroyed Voldemort's body, he never had the chance to complete the ritual. This is good since it will allow us to remove the soul fragment easier and there doesn't appear to be any contamination to your soul."

"Contamination? What do you mean contamination? I'm alright though, right?" Harry practically yelled.

Sharpblade responded "Mr. Potter! Calm down. Thank you. As Swiftdeath said, the ritual wasn't completed and your soul is free from foreign contamination."

Taking a deep breath, Harry started to relax. "So I'm alright…my soul is alright?"

"There is no contamination to your soul from the fragment in your scar, your soul is your own responsibility, it depends on the life you lead. Either way it is not our business. There is something we can do for the fragment in your scar though." Sharpblade said.

Harry, relieved about being contamination free and a little confused about the mention of his own soul replied, "Please, do whatever you can to get rid of it!"

Sharpblade and Swiftdeath started speaking to each other in Gobbledygook again for a few minutes before Swiftdeath left the room after collecting his bag. Sharpblade turned to Harry, "Swiftdeath has gone ahead to prepare the ritual chamber that we will use to remove the soul fragment. It will not be a pleasant experience, but it will be over quickly. There is a ninety percent chance of success. As I stated before it will be 200 Galleons. I assume you still wish to proceed?"

"Only ninety percent chance of success?" said Harry.

"There is no such thing as a one hundred percent guarantee Mr. Potter. We have had success with similar rituals in the past, but never on a two live subject at the same time." Sharpblade replied.

"Two live subjects? What do you mean two live subjects?" Harry almost shouted. He barely was keeping his emotions in check.

"Ah yes, I never said how we were going to remove the soul fragment did I? Well, we have had success with Horcrux's in the past by transferring the soul fragment from the original container into another container. We use Puffskins as the receiving container. They are magic neutral creatures and are easy to acquire and are even easier to dispose of. Do you still wish to precede Mr. Potter?" Sharpblade answered.

Harry was quiet for a few minutes before saying, "I guess you're right, nothing is guaranteed in this world. You said ninety percent success right?"

That is our best estimate. Like I said, this is a slightly different ritual that we normally use." Said Sharpblade

Another minute passed before Harry said, "OK. Yes I want to do the procedure… ritual... whatever. I will pay the 200 Galleons."  
"Excellent, Mr. Potter. I believed you would request the procedure and Swiftdeath should only require… twenty or so minutes more to get the ritual chamber set up. If you wait here, there will be a goblin around shortly to escort you to the ritual chamber. He should also have the receipt for you to sign for services rendered." Sharpblade said before turning around and walking out of the room.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Three A Load off

Harry waited for about forty minutes before a goblin entered the room. The wait was starting to drive him crazy and he couldn't get his mind off the fact that there is a piece of Voldemort inside of him. He felt dirty, he felt violated, and he felt helpless. Hopefully the ritual would be a success.

Smashrock entered the room holding a file folder and a quill. "I will escort you to the ritual room as soon as you sign this receipt Mr. Potter." Smashrock opened the folder and handed Harry the parchment that was inside and the quill. Harry looked over the receipt and saw the charge for the extended diagnosis and the Horcrux removal ritual. He realized that the goblins were going to get their money even if the ritual was unsuccessful. Harry couldn't fault them for that. He signed.

Handing back the parchment to Smashrock, Harry said, "OK, I'm ready to go." Harry collected his belongings before they both walked out of the room and started down the hall. It was another few minutes of twists and turns before they reached the ritual chamber. Harry followed Smashrock in and saw Swiftdeath, Sharpblade and two other goblins who were dressed in what looked like white smocks with gold symbols all over. The ritual chamber looked like a cavern made from obsidian with what Harry assumed were runes covering almost every surface. There was a stone table in the center of the room which was circled by three concentric circles that appeared to be written in gold. At the head of the stone table was a cage made of gold that had a fluffy little animal in it. Harry assumed that it was the Puffskin. Smashrock left the room while Sharpblade came toward Harry. "Mr. Potter, the ritual will start in a few minutes. For this ritual to proceed, you will have to remove all magical items and all clothes above the waist. You will than lie on the table with your head toward the cage. When the ritual begins you will be surrounded by a field that will not allow you to move. This is important for the ritual because any movement can cause serious complications in removing the soul fragment without affecting your own soul. The ritual takes around twenty one minutes and will be a little uncomfortable. We can't offer you any pain relief potions before the ritual because it can cause… adverse reactions. We will provide one afterwards." Sharpblade told Harry. "Put all items in this bag."

Again Harry wondered how painful this ritual was going to be if the goblins were willing to provide a pain potion. He took the bag from Sharpblade and started to disrobe, a few minutes later Harry was naked from the waist up. Handing the bag to Sharpblade, Harry walked up to the table and lay down. Sharpblade followed and told Harry, "When the ritual is over we will do another check up and see if anything has improved. There are a few potions that I can sell you that will improve your health, you couldn't use them before the ritual without consequences. Good luck Mr. Potter."

Sharpblade turned and left the room. Swiftdeath approached Harry and started to talk, "Mr. Potter, we will begin shortly. For this ritual we will require some of your blood."

"My blood? Why?" Harry asked nervously.

"We will need to draw runes on your face and chest for the ritual. This part of the ritual will not be painful, you have nothing to worry about. If you insist, we can do this without taking any blood but for best results it will require a little of your own blood. Some wizards are a little hesitant with anything involving blood, but we find it provides the best results. Any blood left over after the ritual will of course be destroyed." Swiftdeath said.

"OK, how much blood will you need?" replied Harry.

"About half a liter. You might feel a little lightheaded, but there will be no lasting consequences. After the ritual we can offer a blood replenishing potion." Swiftdeath replied.

"I've come this far. OK, take the blood. Let's get started." Harry said and turned his head toward the ceiling and closed his eyes.

Harry heard Swiftdeath moving around the table speaking in Gobbledygook when all of a sudden he felt a pressure settle over him and he couldn't move. Harry membered that Sharpblade said this would happen so he didn't panic. Thinking about it he realized it wasn't an unpleasant feeling. There was a sudden pain in his wrist. "I am taking the blood now Mr. Potter. I will mix it into the ritual potion that we will use to draw the runes. There, all done. In a few minutes we will begin the ritual." Swiftdeath spoke.

There was a lot of shuffling around. Harry heard all three goblins speaking Gobbledygook. Swiftdeath said, "We are starting now Mr. Potter. We are going to draw the runes and start the ritual. There will be a lot of chanting in Gobbledygook and I won't speak to you again until the ritual is complete."

A low hum started coming from all three goblins. Harry then felt what he assumed were the runes being drawn onto his chest and head by what felt like brushes, Harry was glad that he wasn't ticklish or this would have been torture. When the painting of the runes stopped, the indistinct humming transformed into chanting in Gobbledygook. Suddenly a burning sensation started in his chest before moving to his scar. The burning in his chest stayed the same, but the burning in his scar seemed to triple in pain every time the chanting got louder. The pain was becoming unbearable and there was now a pulling sensation added. All of a sudden there was a ripping feeling and the pain stopped and Harry passed out.

When the darkness cleared from Harrys head, he felt that he could move again even though his whole body ached. Groaning, Harry sat up. And Sharpblade spoke, "Would you like a pain relief potion and a blood replenishing potion Mr. Potter. The blood replenishing potion comes included with the ritual, but the pain relief potion costs ten sickles."

It took a little while before Harry could speak but when he could he said, "I'll take both now please." Harry swallowed both potions down quickly and felt immediate relief. The taste wasn't even that bad. "Thank you Sharpblade. How did everything go?"

"The Horcrux was successfully removed but there was… an anomaly." Sharpblade said with a little hesitation in his voice.

"An anomaly! What anomaly? You said the Horcrux was removed right?" Harry nervously replied.

"Do not worry Mr. Potter. We will discuss this and more when you have your meeting with the director. Now while you were unconscious I performed another exam and found that you are even a little healthier than before the ritual. It seems that the Horcrux was drawing on your magic core to sustain itself and that your core was fighting this. You should have access to a greater amount of your core from now on." Sharpblade said.

"Voldemort's Horcrux was using my own magic? You're sure it's gone?" Harry said.

"Quite sure, Mr. Potter. You can still use some nutrient potions to fix the malnutrition you have suffered in the past, but that can be arranged after the meeting. Here are all of your things, as soon as you are dressed we will go to the meeting." Sharpblade said while handing Harry back his bag.

Soon Harry was dressed and he accompanied Sharpblade out of the ritual room and back into the twisting corridor. A five minute walk later and Harry noticed the doors lining the corridors were getting progressively more ornate. When they came to the end of the corridor, the door looked to be solid gold with a ruby door handle. Sharpblade spoke to Harry, "We are about to speak to Ragnok, the Director of Gringotts. If you value your life, answer all questions asked honestly." Sharpblade knocked on the door and a few moments later a call in Gobbledygook was heard from inside.

Both Harry and Sharpblade entered to a magnificent room full of tapestries of what Harry assumed were famous goblin battles covering three of the walls. The back wall was full of medieval looking weapons, some of which seemed to be covered in dried blood. Harry wondered if this is how all goblin offices were decorated, they are a warrior culture he reminded himself. In front of the weapons sat a goblin sitting behind an elaborately carved Oak desk. There were many pieces of parchment on the desk alongside a beautiful Peacock feather quill and ink set. A long, sharp silver dagger sat to who Harry assumed was Ragnok's right, in easy reach. Ragnok himself was dressed in what Harry thought was chainmail armor, but the color seemed off. Ragnok definitely was a goblin Harry didn't want mad at him. There were two comfortable looking chairs in front of the desk nut Harry didn't dare sit unless he was invited to. He wasn't sure of the proper protocol but felt that doing anything without being told to first would be a mistake.

Ragnok looked up from writing on a piece of parchment and gave what to Harry seemed to be a little smirk. "Sit down Mr. Potter." Harry sat. Ragnok went back to writing and a minute later started to speak. "It seems that you are an interesting client Mr. Potter."

"Ummm… thank you director?" Harry replied cautiously.

A small chuckle was heard from Ragnok. "Yes, quite. If everything I have heard from Sharpblade, Swiftdeath and Barkaxe are true, you have lived a most interestingly life so far."

Ummm… thank you director?" Harry replied even more cautiously.

"No, thank you Mr. Potter. I am very busy running Gringotts but it very routine. Your situation is very… entertaining." Ragnok replied with mirth in his voice.

Harry felt a little insulted at this statement. His life so far was hard, painful even. To be entertainment for someone else seemed wrong. Quietly he said in just above a whisper, "Easy for you to say."

Ragnok still heard and laughed out loud. "Ha! Yes, for you it would be a most difficult life. I meant no disrespect. It seems that there are forces out there that deem you as important and important people seem to have the most interesting lives." Harry didn't say anything so Ragnok continued, "Yes, if what Sharpblade reported is accurate, we have many things to discuss. First there is the soul fragment we removed from your scar that you believe belongs to Voldemort."

"Yeah, Sharpblade said there was an anomaly?" replied Harry.

"Yes Mr. Potter there was an… anomaly. Usually when we transfer a Horcrux from one object to another the soul fragment will pull to the direction of the original soul before settling in the new container. In this case the soul fragment seemed to pull in five different directions." Ragnok said.

"Five? What… what does that mean?" Harry said in a surprised tone.

"We believe this means that there are other similar pieces of soul fragments out there." Replied Sharpblade.

"So Voldemort made more Horcrux's? So he can't be killed?" Harry replied dejectedly.

Ragnok spoke up, "Not until all of the Horcrux's have been destroyed, no. Normally this would mean nothing to the Goblin Nation. However, in the past Voldemort has targeted goblins and we owe him a death. To you this means that we will provide some assistance"

"Really? That will be great, any help will be greatly appreciated. What kind of assistance?" Harry asked.

"We can create a device that should be able to locate the remaining Horcrux's. Now before you say anything, this is a new situation we find ourselves in. As far as we can tell there has never been a wizard that has split ho soul so many times and we have to to completely redesign our procedures for locating Horcrux's. We believe we will be successful but we don't know how long this may take. In the meantime we can provide some more tangible assistance. We will provide you a reusable portkey that will drop you off in a secure room here in Gringotts. Barkaxe also said you were looking for objects to help you train? We can't provide you any training unless you are a registered cursebreaker in the employ of Gringotts." Said Ragnok.

'Thank you for the portkey, it should be very useful. It's too bad about not being able to train me." Harry said.

Ragnok chuckled. "I never said we couldn't train you Mr. Potter. I said we can only train cursebreakers in the employ of Gringotts."

"What?" Harry couldn't quite figure out what Ragnok was getting at. Then it clicked. "You are going to hire me as a cursebreaker? How? I haven't even sat my O.W.L.S yet. There is no way the Ministry, or Dumbledore will allow it."

Ragnok replied, "It is quite easy Mr. Potter. You will be hired under an assumed mane. Barkaxe has already set you up with an identity in the muggle world, we will set you up with an identity in the magical world as well. We can fake a few O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. results and get you hired right away. You will need to get your own supplies but we will provide a certificate that identifies you as a cursebreaker. Barkaxe also said that he recommended Borgin & Burkes? We will provide a passphrase that will assure his cooperation in obtaining anything you require. We have done much business with him in the past. When you are there I recommend you pick up a device that can change your appearance so you don't have to constantly apply glamour charms or use Polyjuice potion. They have also been known to have a selection of rings that can change your magical signature. This combined with a new wand without the trace should do to create a solid new identity. I would avoid Olivanders for the new wand if I were you. There is a wand shop a few shops down from Borgin & Burkes called Julien's if I remember correctly."

' _Wow!'_ Harry thought. So far this was sounding great. Not only was he going to receive a Portkey that will let him conduct business with Gringotts easier, they are even going to give him some training and a new identity in the magical world. All this was amazing, there had to be a catch. "This is great. Thank you Director Ragnok. I can't help but feel there is something a little off. I know that goblins don't do anything for free so….?"

Another chuckle from Ragnok, "Very astute Mr. Potter. Yes, Gringotts will want use of your services as a cursebreaker from time to time, after you have been fully trained of course."

Harry thought this over for a minute. _'Should I do this? It seems reasonable that after all that training that I put it to good use. It might even be fun. Didn't Ron say his eldest brother was a cursebreaker? I do need all the help I can get and a few jobs seem fair.'_ Out loud Harry said, "OK Ragnok, sounds good. What do I need to do? And what doe's a few jobs from time to time mean?"

"Excellent. All we will need from you is a new name that you will have to sign on this parchment here." Ragnok said while placing a piece of parchment and a quill in front of Harry. "Very good in confirming what you will owe to Gringotts for services rendered before agreeing to anything Mr. Potter. We will require your services on say… Five jobs."

"I can agree to that as long as it is after I complete Hogwarts and all of Voldemort's Horcrux's have been destroyed. Also that I can refuse a job if it sounds too dangerous." Harry replied back in a confident tone he wasn't really feeling.

"That seems fair Mr. Potter, if you complete the five jobs by ten tears after you leave Hogwarts. Now please choose a new name and sign." Spoke Ragnok. Harry thought for a few minutes before deciding on a name before signing and handing the parchment back to Ragnok. "Sam Underhill, an interesting choice. I don't believe I have heard the name Underhill before. Was there a reason you chose this particular one Mr. Potter?"

"Nothing too special, I took inspiration from the Lord of the Rings books I've read before. Also I don't think there will be too many people who will recognize the mane." said Harry.

"Very good Mr. Potter. Now Sharpblade will escort you back to Barkaxe's office where you can conclude your business. Barkaxe will provide you with a new vault and key, and arrange an instructor, schedule training time and provide you a list of required tools. And Mr. Potter, for all the entertainment, I will waive the transfer fee if you want to put a few galleons in your new vault. This is one time only, you understand? Dismissed." Ragnok said. Harry got up and started to leave when Ragnok spoke up again. "Oh, before I forget. Speak to Barkaxe about the Basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets. Also I am disappointed in you not contacting Gringotts with the identity of the thief, But I can understand your assuming that it had already been taken care of. If I hear of anything like this happening again though…"

Harry got the unspoken threat and decided that he would do anything to keep whatever Ragnok's implied threat was from happening. Walking with Sharpblade back down the long corridoes towards Barkaxe's office, Harry spoke up, "That seemed to go well?"

"Yes, Ragnok was in a good mood. Lucky for you."

Said Sharpblade.

Another five minute walk found Harry back in Barkaxe's office. "You are an interesting client, Mr. Potter." Said Barkaxe. "The Director has certainly made your and my life more interesting. Let's see… A new identity with verifiable O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. results, a cursebreaker certificate, a new vault, a reusable Portkey, lessons, and a list of supplies you will need. I see I am also to provide you with our passphrase for Borgin & Burkes. You must have really impressed the Director."

Listening to the list of things that the goblins were actually supplying him, Harry realized that he was extremely lucky. "Wow! Thank you again for all the help Barkaxe. What do I have to do get this all set up?"

"You will need you to provide a new magical signature for the ID. I recommend that you go to Borgin & Burkes first and get the ring that we discussed earlier that changes your magical signature and a new wand. Also if you are going to use items to change your appearance, that you establish your _Look_ before you do any other shopping. Once you have those items you should return here and we can set up your new identity with the matching signatures. It the same procedure we used to set up your vault key and money pouch, the only difference is that you won't be able to change the ID on your own. If you need to change it, you will have to come in and there will be a fee involved." Said Barkaxe.

"OK, that makes sense. First stop Borgin & Burkes. You mentioned a passphrase that will insure that they will help me out." Replied Harry a little uncertainty.

"Yes Mr. Potter, The phrase is 'Money has no value, yet money is all.' Can you repeat that for me Mr. Potter?"

"Money has no value, yet money is all."

"Very good." Barkaxe said pleased. "While you are out I will set up a reusable Portkey that will bring you to Gringotts and back from wherever you activated it. I will set up your new identity, I will set up your new vault, and I will put together a list of the supplies you will need to be a cursebreaker. The lessons that the Director wants you to have will take a few days to set up."

"Thank you again Barkaxe. I should get going. Can you perform the glamour on me that we talked about earlier?" Harry asked while standing up.

Barkaxe stood up as well and walked around his desk, putting his hand on Harrys head and saying something in Gobbledygook. Harry felt a wave of energy run down his body. When the sensation stopped, Barkaxe removed his hand and walked back around his desk. Pulling a drawer open, he reached inside and withdrew a small mirror and handed it to Harry. "Have a look."

Harry took the mirror. "Wow!" Staring back at Harry in the mirror was a blond haired, blue eyed, deeply tanned, totally unrecognizable person. His nose, cheeks, lips, and even jaw looked different. He was the same height but looked at least ten years older." I look completely different."

"That's the idea Mr. Potter." Barkaxe said with a slight chuckle. "Now off you go. You only have five hours before the charm wears off. Remember, after you procure the items from Borgin & Burks return here so we can finish up."

"OK, I'll be back soon." Harry put down the mirror and left Barkaxe's office and Gringotts. First stop Borgin & Burkes.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Four A Shopping We Will Go

Stepping out of Gringotts, Harry made a bee line for Knockturn Alley. He realized that he must look a little weird in a Ravenclaw robe when he was glamoured to look at least twenty five years old, but there was no helping it. After entering Knockturn Alley Harry noticed that the temperature and light seemed to drop. The alley was mostly deserted with only a few… people, milling about. It seems that Knockturn Ally was not a busy place in the light of day. He shuddered to think what it would be like at night. Fortunately for Harry, his first visit to Knockturn Alley was so memorable that he found his way to Borgin & Burks quickly.

Stepping inside and setting off a little bell above the door, Harry started looking around and remembering his first time in this shop. There was the cabinet he hid from the Malfoys in, there was the display case with the cursed jewelry, and there was the Hand of Glory that Draco wanted. Harry thought to himself _'I should buy it just so Draco can't have it. Actually that's not a bad idea. If I buy some of the more dangerous items it would keep them out of the hands of any potential enemies. Plus it could give me something to practice my upcoming cursebreaker skills on.'_ Harry continued to wander around the shop.

After a few minutes, Mr. Borgin walked out of his back room and approached Harry, "A fine day today sir, how can I be of service? As you can see we have a wide selection of treasures for the discerning collector."

Harry decided to see where the passphrase that the goblins provided him would get him. "Money has no value, yet money is all."

Mr. Borgin looked startled for a second then straightened up, turned around, and walked to the front door and locked it. Harry was starting to feel nervous when Mr. Borgin came back and said. "Now that we have some privacy, how can I help a valued customer of Gringotts today?"

Harry relaxed. "Thank you for your discretion Mr. Borgin. I was lead to believe by Director Ragnok," Borgin barely held in a gasp of surprise. "that you may carry certain… rare items that could help me out?"

"We carry a large selection of rare treasures in stock. We have also been known to procure similar rare treasures for our valued customers, if the price is right of course." Said Borgin, with a smirk and a not at all subtle innuendo at the end. "What is it you are looking for today?"

"Excellent. First I was told you carry a certain charmed ring that can… adjust a magical signature?"

Borgin was quiet for a minute, looking Harry over before responding. "Yes, we carry a wide selection of charmed Jewelry and have a ring that can provide that particular function. Follow me." Borgin turned and led Harry to the counter. "Wait here for a moment." Borgin disappeared into the back room and came back out about three minutes later with a case full of rings. Opening the case and removing a thin gold band, Borgin handed the ring to Harry. "This one, if worn on the wand hand, will… adjust your normal magical signature. It is auto sizing, un-summonable, and has a built in Notice-Me-Not that will prevent anyone but the wearer from seeing it."

"Perfect! How much?" replied Harry.

"40 Galleons."

"I See, I will likely get it. What do these other rings do?"

Borgin has been in business long enough to know when a customer was just looking or was going to buy, and this customer was going to buy. Being a valued Gringotts customer meant that he had the galleons to spend, but also meant that he couldn't overcharge him… too much. "Oh, a variety of interesting things. This one," Borgin said pointing to a silver band, "detects when magic is performed on the wearer. It doesn't provide any protection, and an obvious spell like a stunner you usually see coming. But a compulsion charm, a tracking charm?"

Harry could see how this could come in handy, "How much?"

"10 galleons."

"Seems… reasonable. I'll take it, and these others?"

"This one here turns your hair red, all your hair."

Harry thought this could be fun but not really necessary. "How much?"

"Three galleons."

"I'll pass, and these others?"

Borgin started listing more properties of the rings with more and more absurd functions until he mentioned a set of three that, "when one sets off the charm, the other two feel a pull towards the active one. This is good for finding lost friends or family."

Harry thought, ' _That sounds like something that could be really useful for me, Hermione, and Ron with all the trouble we get into_.' "How much for the set?"

"8 galleons for all three."

"OK. I'll take the three, the magic detector, and the magical signature adjuster. There a few more items I need that I was told you carry or can acquire. "

"I will do my best to help you fulfill your needs. What else do you require?"

"First, I need something that can permanently hold a glamour. If it is adjustable that would be helpful. I need a selection of books on the subject of magical defense, legal or otherwise. Do you carry invisible cloaks, or any other clothes used for concealment? I was also told you carry a multi compartment trunk that has a 'Flat' that I can do magic in and not be detected, and I was also hoping that you might have… a Time-Turner?"

The wheels in Borgin's mind almost went off the rails. This one customer would likely be spending a not so small fortune today. Getting back to the present situation, "We, I have a selection of glamour necklaces, our best one… hold on I'll be right back." Borgin disappeared into the back room again. When he returned he was carrying another jewelry case, this time filled with necklaces. "Here, this one is segmented and can adjust hair color, eye color, skin color, and the octave of your voice. It also creates a subtle Notice-Me-Not and Confundus that make it impossible for you to be easily identified, even by someone who knows you well." The necklace was a nice gold chain with a charm about the size of a AAA battery in four rotating segments. There were what Harry assumed to be runes along all the segments and one on the bottom. Harry had no idea what any of them meant. "Borgin continued, "You adjust what you want the changes to be by turning the four segments and activate it with the rune on the bottom. It's great not only because it is adjustable, but also you can turn it on and off so easily. It does require skin contact to work though. Wearing it under your shirt will work easily enough."

"Cool. How much?"

"500 galleons."

"That much?" Harry said shocked.

""We do have other cheaper ones, but they aren't adjustable and only change one or two features."

"Oh, Ok. What do the other necklaces do?"

"Most of these ones are the other Glamour necklaces, but these…" Borgin described more borderline insane features of the other necklaces, except for two. One was a necklace that detected any magical potion or poison in a one foot radius of it, and the other one was a necklace that protected the mind partially from a Legilamancy attack. It wouldn't stop a direct assault, but would alert and stop a passive scan. Harry added them to his growing collection.

"Ok, what books do you have that I could find useful?" Asked Harry.

We have quite an extensive collection good sir. Let me put these away," Borgin said while picking up both jewelry cases, sans the items Harry was planning to purchase. 'I'll bring out a selection for you to choose from." Borgin disappeared into the back room again. Harry had to wonder how large the back room actually was.

Borgin reemerged with a huge pile of books, and Harry got to sorting. He eventually, and after many more trips for Borgin into his back room for more, settled on Most Potent Potions for 50 galleons. Inner Animal. A guide to becoming an animagus, for 15 galleons. Embracing the Dark. A guide to dark curses and their counter, for 45 galleons. Charming Your Enemy. Rare Charms for duels and protection for 25 galleons. Protecting your privacy. A guide on dangerous wards and charms for protection of your home and body for 20 galleons. Uncommon Runes for 15 galleons. The Powerful Mind. A guide to Oclumancy and Legilamancy for 45 galleons. Power Rituals for 100 galleons. Parsselmagic, written in parsseltounge for 15 galleons. Auror Training Manual for15 galleons. It seems that information was expensive in the magical world.

"What else did you say you needed? oh yes, a shielded multi compartment trunk. I have just the thing." Again Borgin returned to the mysterious back room only to emerge a few seconds later with a beautiful trunk. "This is our shielded three compartment trunk. It is charmed permanently Featherlight and has a magical signature or password activated shrinking and enlargement charm. Plus all the standard security features of any regular trunk with a few extras."

"Such As?"

"Well, the First compartment is a standard, slightly expanded, normal trunk space. About 6ft by 4ft by 4ft. The second and third compartment requires more security. You will need to place your finger on this spot on the latch here and here for the second and here for the third compartment, and the trunk will draw a small amount of blood to let you open it up. The second compartment is about the size of a walk in closet. 9ft by 9ft by 11ft. The third compartment is where you'll really be impressed. It is a three bedroom, two bathroom flat with a fully functional kitchen and living room. It comes with one furnished bedroom and a furnished kitchen with stove, charmed icebox and pantry with stasis charm. The Living room also comes with a couch, table and chairs, and several bookshelves. There is also a door that will allow you to access the second compartment from the inside the third. Any magic performed in this trunk when the lid is closed is undetectable. Another nice security feature is that when you open the lid on the second or third compartment, the trunk sets off a slight Notice-Me-Not charm so people won't notice you coming or going. It comes with a manual that explains all the features."

Harry was thinking this was perfect. "This seems like just what I was looking for. How much?"

"5,500 Galleons."

"Could you repeat that."

"5,500 Galleons. You have to understand you are getting a secure, portable, full flat here."

Thinking about it that way, Harry realized that Borgin was right. It was a portable home. "I guess that's fair. OK I'll take it also. And the other items I require?"

"Yes, let's see. We have a nice selection of cloaks right over here." Borgin led Harry over to the side of the shop with several coat racks filled with cloaks. "These are the finest invisibility cloaks on the market, and these are the finest Acromantula Silk cloaks with Notice-Me-Not charms built into the hoods."

Harry walked up to the invisible cloaks and ran his hand over the material. It felt different then his own cloak. The cloak he was touching also disappeared right in front of him. "What are these made of, and why did it disappear when I touched it?"

"Only the finest Demiguise hair. We also have a few regular cloaks with a built in Disillusionment charm. Personally I find them not to be as reliable but some prefer them. The way invisible cloaks work is that they are visible until they come in contact with something that produces its own magic, like a witch or wizard."

When Harry let go of the cloak it reappeared. "Nice. I'll take this one. How much, and what do these other ones do?" Harry asked while handing Borgin a grey Demiguise hair cloak.

"125 galleons. These are your standard Acromantula Silk cloaks. They all come with the standard Notice-Me-Not built into the hood, auto size function which will guarantee a perfect fit, and is water and dirt resistant. We have many different colors and trims, and if you want a custom one made, it can be arranged."

"That won't be necessary. I'll take this one." Harry pulled a solid black cloak off the rack and handed to Borgin. "How much for this one?"

"5 galleons."

"OK, now about the…Time Turner?" Harry asked nervously.

"You certainly are a discerning customer. Yes I can procure one but it won't be easy or cheap."

"How much and how long will it take to get it?"

"I could have one by this time next week and the cost is… 12,000 galleons."

Harry choked. "12,000... that's a lot of galleons."

"A Time Turner is a highly restricted item, I'm surprised you even know of such a thing. They are highly illegal to use without Ministry approval, and I have a feeling you will not be using it in a Ministry approved way. I'm not casting dispersions, you can use it however you seem fit. Nonetheless one is very hard to come by.

Harry was quiet for a minute. "Ok, I'll need one for what I have to do." Harry knew he might regret asking this next question. "Is there anything else you might have in stock that I might be interested in?"

Borgin's face lit up. "Definitely. Right over here we have…" After another thirty minutes walking around the shop Harry had added a silver goblin made dagger, two wrist wand holsters that turned invisible and un-summonable when worn, a Mokeskin pouch with expanded interior, a Pensive, a couple of cursed necklaces and rings to practice on, and the Hand of Glory. "This brings your total to… 4964 galleons for all the items here. I'll need half the cost of the Time Turner upfront. The new total is 10,964 galleons." Harry let out a deep breath and removed his money pouch. It took over five minutes to count out all the money. "Excellent. Let's set up your trunk and you can stow your purchases." And they both headed to Harrys new trunk. "You will need to put your hand on the latch here. Make sure to put your palm on the main latch and your fingers on these three runes. Good. Now push a little magic into the latch."

Harry felt his hand tingle and then a sharp prick on the fingers that were on the runes. "Ow! What was that?"

"That was the trunk excepting your magical signature and blood to set the personal protections. If you want to allow access for anyone else or set a password, you can find the instructions in the manual. Until you set your own password, to shrink and enlarge the trunk just say 'small', or 'large' while laying your hand on the lid."

Harry placed his hand on top of the trunk and said "Small." The trunk shrunk down to the size of a deck of cards. Harry lifted it up and it also only weighed about the same as a deck of cards. Setting the trunk down, Harry again placed his hand on the trunk and said "Large" and the trunk was its normal size again. Harry placed all of his new purchases in the expanded second compartment except for the two protection rings, all three necklaces, both of the wand holsters, and the Acromantula silk cloak. Before putting his backpack into the compartment he removed the wand he found in his parents secret vault. Turning toward. Borgin he said. "Thank you for all your help this day. I will be back in one week to finish our business." Borgin walked Harry back to the door, and unlocked it.

Harry stepped back into Knockturn Alley and made his way back to Gringotts. A quiet, if creepy trek found Harry back in Barkaxe's office. "That took a little time Mr. Potter. Am I to assume everything went successfully?" said Barkaxe.

"I got the magical signature adjustment ring, the trunk, and some other items that should prove useful."

"Excellent, now we can set up your new identity and vault. Here is your cursebreaker certificate in the name of Sam Underhill, your new vault key, number 1533, a list of books and tools you will need as a cursebreaker, and your reusable Portkey." The Portkey was a thin gold bracelet covered in runes. "Now I will need you to push your magic into the certificate with your new signature. When you are done. I will need you to do the came to these pieces of parchment. They are what we will use to back trace your new identity in the Ministry. When your new history is set we will give you a dossier for you to memorize. It will be ready by the time your first lesson starts."

"OK, any guess when that will be?" Harry said while taking the parchment.

"It should take eleven days."

"That's good, I was able to get a Time Turner but it won't be ready for pick up for a week. I'll need it to keep our meetings a secret."

"That's settled then, we will meet back here in eleven days. To activate the Portkey you will say 'Activate' while pushing magic into it. The Portkey will bring you to a specially warded room here in the bank and a goblin will bring me to my office. You will leave from the same room and return to where you left from. I would recommend leaving away from your house to not alert any magic detection sensors in your neighborhood. I would expect your house is heavily monitored." Barkaxe stood up and approached the office door. "Now let's settle up the bill shall we…"


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Five What Do I Have To Work With?

Harry, deciding not to push his luck headed home right away. He figured he should play around with his new purchases and see what else he needed to get. Since his glamour would last almost another two hours, Harry took the Knightbus back to Little Winging and waited for it to wear off at the park close to his house. The ride was just like he remembered it from last year expect that instead of beds, there were a variety of chairs sliding around.

Arriving at the park, Harry found a secluded section and enlarged his trunk. Putting his robes and cloak away, he reshrunk it. Walking around for over an hour, Harry felt the familiar sensation wash over him in a wave. Looking at his reflection on some play equipment and seeing he was back to his normal appearance, he headed home.

Stepping into the Dursleys home from the backdoor, the first thing Harry noticed was that it was quiet, too quiet. Walking to the kitchen table he saw a note. ' _Gone to Majorca for two weeks. List of chores and food on table .'_ On the table there were ten bananas, six apples, six oranges, a loaf of bread, and one glass. There was also a lock on the pantry and the refrigerator. The list was long but not unusual for the Dursleys.

Letting out a sigh, Harry thought, ' _Figures. Not enough food to last a week, forget two. At least I won't have to put up with them for two whole weeks. TWO WHOLE WEEKS DURSLEY FREE! Yah!'_ Heading up to his room to drop off his trunk, Harry saw that all the Dursleys bedrooms had locks on the doors too. "Figures."

Enlarging his trunk, Harry tried to open the third compartment but nothing happened. Harry tried several more time with ne effect until he realized that he had on the ring that changed his magical signature. Taking it off he tried again and he felt the prick on his finger and the lid opened to show a ladder leading down to a room that Harry couldn't see the end of. Climbing down Harry was amazed with the size of his new home away from home, and so far all he could see was the living room and an open kitchen. There were three doors leading off to one side of the room and one door next to the ladder. Harry assumed this led to the second compartment. There were empty bookshelves running along the other two walls, a couch with reading table, and a small dining table with three chairs. There was still a good amount of free space and if he pushed back the couch to the wall, there would be even more. Entering the kitchen he saw that there was a countertop between the sink and stove, a small shelf on the other side of the stove and a cupboard above all for dishes and utensils, all empty. On one side of the room there were two doors, opening them up Harry felt cold from one and nothing from the other. ' _Must be the Icebox and pantry._ ' The door on the other side opened up to a bathroom that had a sink with mirror, a toilet, and a shower. "Cool."

Heading back into the living room Harry went to the first of three doors. Inside was a queen size, four poster bed and mattress, a night table, a chest of drawers, a wardrobe, a small desk and chair. The other door in the room led to another bathroom. It had a larger mirror and sink, a toilet, and a bathtub instead of a shower. A bathtub might be an understatement; it was the size of a ten person Jacuzzi. _'I am sooo using that tonight._

Checking out the other two rooms Harry found they are completely empty. ' _I can use one as a training room but I'm not sure what to do with the other. No hurry. OK, let me put away what I bought and … I'll need to make a list of things I need. But first'_ Harry pulled out his wand and made sure the trunks lid was closed. "Winguardium Leviosa!" Harry shouted while levitating a chair. Cancelling the spell Harry hurriedly made his way out of the trunk. An hour of waiting in his room for an Owl from the Ministry, nothing arrived. "Yes!"

Emptying his old trunk into the new one, Harry reentered the 'Flat' again. Putting everything in its place, his old trunk at the end of his bed, Harry sat down with the trunks instruction manual, parchment, and pen and got to work. Two hours later he sat back with a long list and a greater understanding of his trunk and sore eyes. He now knew how to operate the stove, the sinks and baths, the lights, and how to add and remove others from accessing the trunk. His list of needed supplies was pretty extensive too, he needed pretty much everything. Plates, cups, utensils, pots, pans, cleaning supplies, food, bedsheets, toilet paper, towels… basically everything.

Harry decided to try the glamour neckless and set his new 'Look.' Pressing the rune on the bottom of the circular pendant and pushing some of his Magic. He went into the bathroom and saw a brown haired, brown eyed stranger looking back at him. "Neat." Turning the first 'ring' Harry sent more magic into the pendent and now a blond haired person was staring back. The second 'ring' changed his eye color, the third shanged his skin tone, and the fourth changed the octave of his voice. He settled on a brown haired, brown eyed, slightly tanned persona with a lower voice. ' _Might as well be as forgettable as possible when using this.'_ Leaving the trunk Harry went back to the Dursley's kitchen and ate two bananas and an apple, realizing this was the first thing he ate all day. Picking up the rest of the food, he walked upstairs and into the bathroom. Getting a towel and some soap, he reentered his 'Flat' for a long bath and his first goodnight sleep at the Dursley's.

The next morning Harry awoke and decided that he needed to return back to Diagon Alley for supplies. Changing the color to black on his best set of Dudley's hand me downs, he pulled on his Acromantula silk cloak, the glamour neckless, the magic signature changing ring, his Mokeskin and money pouch, and both wand wrist holsters. Deciding to use his 'second' wand today and gathering both the needed item list and his cursebreaker supply list. He decided to shrink and carry his trunk with him. Walking back to the edge of the park he activated the glamour neckless and summoned the Knight bus.

Back in Diagon Alley, Harrys first stop was Gringotts to convert some galleons to muggle money. Not sure how to get money out of a regular bank with his new ID. He figured it would be easier this way. Heading back to the Leaky Cauldron and ordering a full English breakfast, Harry asked tom where he could find food and all the things he would need for his new Apartment.

"You can always purchase full meals and drinks from me or really any restaurant. There is also a store called Food for All for most uncooked and packaged food. For pots, pans, and really anything to do with decorating a home you should go to The Happy Homemaker. Otherwise just look around the Alley and see what you like." Said Tom.

"OK, I'll take three meals a day for a week and a case of Butterbeer. Can I pick it up when I finish shopping?"

"No problem. It will be packed up when you return."

"Thank you."

"No problem, Mr…"

"Underhill. Sam Underhill."

Right Mr Underhill. It will be ready when you are."

Back in the Alley Harrys next stop was The Happy Homemaker where he purchased a variety pots pans and dishes utensils and silverware,

Bedsheets, towels (Towels are self-cleaning and drying when put back on rack), cleaning supplies, a Wizard wireless, and a selection of soaps and shampoos. On his way to the food store Harry saw an Optometry shop called Spectacular Spectacles.

The door chime tinkled as Harry walked in, looking around Harry saw a quaint little shop with one wall covered with shelves with a great assortment of glasses on them. There were all the colors of the rainbow, and quite a few not found in nature. Wizard fashion doesn't do subtle, even in the eye wear. Along the other wall there were three desks with two chairs each and a mirror covering the entire back of the wall. Along the back wall there was a door with what looked like a muggle eye chart on it, and as Harry's eye traveled to it, it opened and a girl walked out. The girl couldn't be older than 19. She had dirty blond hair done up in tight curls and wore a light blue robe with a white trim. She smiled and introduced herself.

"Welcome to Spectacular Spectacles. I'm Carla. How can I help you today?"

"Hello Carla, my name is Sam Underhill. I am in desperate need of new glasses."

Carla walked over to Harry and noticing the state of his glasses said, "I can see that Mr. Underhill…"

"Just Sam." Harry interrupted

"Sam," Carla continued, "Was there a particular style you were looking for? Any particular enchantments?"

Harry thought for a moment, "Not sure on the style, I'll have to look around to see what you have. As for enchantments, what do you offer?"

"All of our glasses come with the basic package of auto sizing, auto correcting vision up to two prescription strengths, Everclear lenses that won't fog up or crack, and a mild sticking charm that will keep the glasses firmly in place on your face." Carla spoke like she was reading from a script, which Harry supposed she was. "There are other enchantments that can be added to most of our glasses, but they vary in price.

Harry, looking at the display cases replied, I would like to hear all the enchantments you have please. Money isn't really an issue."  
Carla's eyes lit up at this, "Certainly Sam. We offer a wide variety of specialty enchantments. Our most popular is a Impervious enchantment that repels dirt, water… most everything that can affect the vision of the glasses. It also makes the glasses almost indestructible. There is also an advanced prescription enchantment that will change the prescription of the glasses up to seven times to keep up with your vision needs. There is also an anti-summoning enchantment. This only comes into effect when you are wearing the glasses. You can still summon them if they are somewhere else, like on your bedside table. A disillusionment enchantment, this makes the glasses invisible but you can still see through them, also only while wearing the glasses. We also can add an enchantment that will make the lenses darken in bright light and increase visibility in low light. They are both separate and can be turned off or on with a touch of tour wand, the other enchantments I mentioned before except the disillusionment are on all the time. Let's see.. Some of our frames also let you change their color. That's pretty much all we have to offer… Oh wait, there is also a zoom enhancement, this allows you to focus on a certain point and 'Zoom' in making it appear larger or closer by three or seven times. You can also turn this one on or off."

Still Smiling, Harry replied "Those all sound great. I'll take the lot, How much?"

Carla was beaming now, her smile was lighting up the whole shop. Harry figured there would probably be a big bonus for her coming from this sale. "The advanced prescription will cost five Galleons, The Impervious enchantment costs four Galleons. The anti-summoning costs two galleons and the disillusion enchantment costs twelve Galleons. The zoom costs… four galleons for three times zoom, five galleons for seven times zoom, and seven galleons for a combination of both. The Shading enchantment costs between two and ten galleons while the Low light enchantment costs between six and twenty galleons."

"Why the difference in price for the low light and shading enchantments?" Harry questioned, looking a little confused.

"It all depends on the strength you want the enchantments at. The Low light enchantment can be set at increasing the light in the room by abought double, to being able to see in a completely dark room like it is midday. Also as with the shading enchantment, it can be auto-adjusting. This way you won't lose your sight if you went from a dark room into a sunny one. The enchantments would automatically compensate. It's almost instantaneous. The opposite is true too. If you go from a bright room to a dark room you won't notice too much of a change and would still be able to see clearly." Carla replied with complete certainty

"OK, makes sense. I'll definitely take the best quality enchantments you got. What about the color change?"

Carla, still beaming said, "Normally it costs five sickles, but since you're getting all the other enchantments I'll throw it in for free."

"Cool, Thank Carla."

"No, thank you Sam." Carla, still with a bright smile on her face grabbed Harry by the arm and led him toward the back of the shop, "Unfortunately, If you want a single pair of glasses to hold all the enchantments you will need to pick out a pair with a metal frame. Not too unfortunate because I think those are the most stylish ones we have." She led Harry to the last display case on the wall, it was full of many stylish frames in gold, silver, bronze and a few that looked like a combination of all three. 'These are all made from Goblin gold, silver or bronze. It's the only materials that will hold all the enchantments, plus they don't tarnish. Here, try this one on."

After about twenty minutes of trying on and discarding about thirty pairs of glasses, Harry had it narrowed down to two choices. A slightly oval looking silver pair that had an intricate pattern of vines, Devils snare, carved down the sides, and a round Gold pair that had a snitch design with sides that looked like narrow silver wings. Surprisingly the silver pair were more expensive, thirteen galleons compared to the gold pair which were only ten.

"I can't decide… what do you think Carla?" Harry said, holding out both pairs of glasses.

"Let me see them again." Taking both sets from Harry, Carla led him over to the opposite wall with the mirrors and desks and had him try on the silver pair first. After Harry tried on the gold pair and still looked undecided that Carla spoke up again, "Well… they both look very good on you. The silver pair has a little more class, but the gold pair does look good on you and are a little more whimsical. I guess it's what you think fits you best."

Harry tried on both pairs again, "Your right… the gold pair is more fun. I don't know if I will be taken seriously enough if I get them though. Hmmm… tell you what, I'll get both."

Carla practically squeaked with excitement "B, both? Wow, that will be great. And you want all the enchantments on both pair also?"

"Of cource." Harry replied. "What do we do now? How do you get my right prescription, and how long will it take until the glasses are ready?

Harry was looking around the shop when Carla answered him, "Well first we check your prescription with these." Carla took a black pair of glasses with thick black frames. There were many runes all alongside the frames. "Put them on and stand here." Carla led Harry to a line on the floor about fifteen feet from the back door. "Now all you have to do is look at the sign on the door until the letters become clear. Tell me when everything is clear to you."

Harry concentrated on the sign and after about thirty seconds he could start to read it. At first only the first lines were clear, but about fifteen seconds later Harry could read every line on the sign. He was actually able to see it clearer than when he walked in the store. Harry thought to himself ' _I definitely needed new glasses'_ "Ok, I can see clearly now."

Harry said aloud.

Carla removed the glasses and still smiling at Harry "Ok, now I bring your selections to the enchanter on staff. It normally takes about thirty minutes for each enchantment to be put on the glasses, but I'll see if I can get him to put a rush on it."

Harry added up all the enchantments and did a quick tally in his head. "So… about four hours for each pair?

"With the rush order it will probably be more like… three hours for each pair." Carla replied. "If you don't want to wait we can send them by owl or you can pick them up at a later date."

Harry looked at his watch, "I have a little more shopping to do in the alley so I definitely want one pair today. I'll have to pick up the second pair another day."

Carla nodded her head, "That will be fine. Ok so which one do you want first?"

Harry only took a moment to decide, "The gold one."

"Good choice." Carla went back to the table and picked the gold frames up, "I'll just take these back and get our enchanter started, than we can finish ringing you up."

As Carla turned to the back door, Harry cleared his throat. Sounding a little nervous Harry asked Carla, "Just a moment…I was told… that you offer other special enchantments for…certain people?"

Carla's smile faltered a little before she replied, "I'm sorry Sam, those enchantments can only be given to members of the DMLE or a registered cursebreaker." She genuinely sounded sorry.

Harry smiled at her, "That's ok than, I'm a licensed cursebreaker." Harry took out the ID that Gringotts provided him and handed it over to Carla.

After taking the paper and reading it, the smile returned to Carla's face, "Everything looks in order. I'll have to verify this but I don't foresee a problem. Impressive Sam. Well the special enchantments we can add are seeing through basic disillusionment charms, and basic ward detection charms. The disillusionment detection costs twenty galleons, and the ward detection costs eighteen. Both can be turned on or off at will."

' _These are going to be expensive glasses_ ,' Harry thought, ' _What the hell, I can afford it._ ' "Add both charms to each pair please."

"Right away Sam. adding these two enchantments will probably add another hour to the wait time. Will that be a problem?" Carla questioned.

Carla seemed just a touch nervous. Harry figured that with a sale this big that she didn't want to disappoint the customer. "It shouldn't make too much of a difference, I have a lot of shopping to do."

"Well than Sam, Let me take these," Carla lifted her hand holding the gold pair of glasses, "And this," Lifting her other hand holding the parchment, "into the back and get it started."

Harry watched Carla walk into the back room through the door with the eye chart and then sat down at the desk nearest the back of the store. Five minutes later Carla walked out with the smile still on her face. Harry thought to himself, 'It seems that the cursebreaker license is working just fine, should make some of the other things I need to buy easier.'

"Here you are Sam." She said while handing Harry back the piece of parchment. Everything checked out great. Now let's ring you up." Carla reached into her robes and pulled out what looked like a bound notebook and an impressive eagle quill. She started writing down an itemized list of all the charms and price of the frames for each par that Harry was buying. It seemed like a pretty long list to Harry. After a minute she handed the notebook to Harry. "Can you check this and make sure that this is what you are ordering."

Harry looked at all the enchantments that were going into his new glasses, and doing a quick tally, nodded and handed the book back to Carla, "Everything looks in order."

"Your total comes to… two hundred thirty nine galleons."

Carla paused for a moment, and when she spoke again, Harry could detect the barest hint of nervousness in her voice. "Normally we require an advance payment of half the total price, with the remainder paid upon delivery…but I'm sure that it will be alright if you only leave a deposit of say, fifty galleons."

"Don't worry," Harry smiled at her and took his money pouch from his cloak, "I'll just pay the total now and avoid the hassle later." After a minute of counting out the two hundred thirty nine galleons, Harry asked, "So… The first pair should be done around," Looking at his watch and seeing it was 11 am, " a little after three? What time do you close in case I don't make it back right away?

"We normally close at seven," Carla replied while gently placing her hand on Harrys arm, "But I will stay open for you. If you could be back here by seven, I can let you stay while I close down the shop."

"Thanks for doing that for me." Harry spoke with affection in his voice.

"Not at all Sam. In all honesty, your sale just made my month. I don't mind staying a little late." Carla opened the notebook again and ripped out the page with the itemized list and handed it to Harry. Harry noticed that the page underneath the torn out one had an identical list on it.

"I'll be back before seven." Harry said as he turned to the door. Harry walked out of the shop back into Diagon Alley, turned left and went straight to Food for All.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Six A Shopping We Will Go, Again

After storing the food in his trunk, Harry headed to the Apothecary and bought enough ingredients, cauldrons, and misc. potion supplies to create his own potion lab. _'I can use the spare room for it'_ Harry thought. He also bought some ready made potions. A few basic healing, nutrition, Pepper-Up, and Dreamless Sleep potions. The next stop was to get a new pair of boots with no slip, size adjusting, color change, cushioning, plus durability charm. There were eight galleons but were totally worth it. The next stop was a store for curse breaking supplies and misc. called Enchanted Objects.

Walking up to counter Harry pulled out his Sam Underhill cursebreaker ID and showed it to the man behind there. "Hi. I was just hired by Gringotts and need everything."

The shop owner took the ID from 'Sam' and ran his wand over it. It glowed blue and then he handed it back to Harry. "Everything is in order. I'll pull the basic kit together. Why don't you look around and see if there is anything else you might like."

Wandering around the shop he saw a Professional Dragonhide vest, gloves and cloak set, Target dummies and practice equipment, a belt with many expanded pouches, and a Bottomless Backpack. Deciding to get a backpack for himself and another for Hermione's birthday, he added it to the growing pile at the counter.

"Quite the selection Mr. Underhill. If you're going to spend a lot of time in the field, I would recommend a Wizards tent?"

"Not necessary, but thank you. What else did you bring me?"

"This is The Cursebreaker Field Kit. It has a bronze 12in telescope that is enchanted to see magical auras and wards. A Variety of chisels from 1in across to size of a needle, and a small hammer, all held in roll up Dragonhide. A variety of blank rune stones and pieces of bone for rune carving and The Cursebreaker guide book. All for 75 galleons."

"This all looks good. Add some more blank rune stones and I should be good to go."

"Right away sir."

After stowing his new purchases away Harry noticed he had two more hours to kill. Harry decided to get a few robes. Heading to Madame Malkins, he entered and started browsing. Madame Malkin approached and interrupted Harrys shopping.

"What can I do for you today, young man?"

"I just need one or two basic robes. Nothing too special."

"Nonsence, new robes are always special. Is there a color or trim you are looking for?"

"Basic black is fine. How about a deep red trim. Do you have that in stock?"

"Of course, of course. Stand up here and let me get your measurements." Harry bought two standard robes and Madame Malkin talked him into getting a set of dress robes. Harry also found a selection of 'Muggle' clothes. Just a few basic pants and shirts, but it was better than what he currently owned.

Feeling hungry found Harry back at the Leakey Cauldron. After another excellent meal and a reassurance he still wanted his 'To Go' order, Harry stepped back into the alley.

Deciding to get Hedwig some treats, Magical Menagerie was Harry's next stop. The smell hit Harry as soon as he entered the shop. Wet fur, piss, and all sort of droppings assaulted his nostrils. Deciding not to stay too long, Harry went straight to the counter, "Hello?" There was no answer so Harry asked again, "Hello, is anyone here?"

No answer but there was some noise coming from the back. Harry decided to explore. Winding his way through cages of cats, mice, lizards, toads, and owls found Harry looking at several tanks filled with a variety of colorful snakes. Realizing he was hearing their conversation, Harry started to turn around to go back to the front of the shop when an idea struck him. ' _If I get a snake I can use it to spy for me at Hogwarts, and magical snakes can do some amazing things. If nothing else, it will be someone to talk to at home. I could also scare Petunia and Dudley with it, better keep it away from Vernon though.'_ With that thought in mind Harry asked in Parsseltounge "Hello, I'm looking for a companion to help me out."

All the snakes stopped their conversations and turned toward Harry. "A ssssspeaker!" The largest and brightest colored one said. Harry assumed he, she, it was the leader of the group because all the other snakes got quiet. "We would be honored to sssssserve."

Thank you." Hissed back Harry. "Can you tell me what each of you do?"

The leader spoke again. "I am a piosssionesss Boa Conssstrictor. The two in the cage over there," The snake pointed its tail to the cage to the right with two poisonous green colored snakes in it. "are a mated pair of Boomslangs. The human like to collect their shed skin. The one over there issss a baby Runesssspoor." The tail was pointing to a cage with a three foot ,three headed, orange and black striped snake in it. "I'tsss three headssss make it one of the ssssmartesssst ssssnakessss in the world but mossst humansss tend to avoid them."

Harry heard three voices arguing with each other from that cage _'That would probable drive me crazy in a week.'_ Thought Harry.

"The three in that cage," again pointing with its tail. "are Magical Pythonssss. Their poisssson isss not fatal and they can turn invissssible to hunt their prey. And finally we have sssome unhatched Assssshwinder eggssss."

Harry turned to cage with the three dark green, almost black Pythons. "Hello you three. What are your nanessss?"

"Hello sssspeaker, I am called Sssloker, my companionssss are called Sssslisssser and Ssssliter."

"Hello. I'm looking for sssssomeone to help me. You will be ssspending mossst of the year in a cassstle. There is a sssspecial chamber that you can sssspend most of your time with plenty of ssssmall prey to hunt. I will probably need your help for a few ssssmall thingsss. You will have to hide from mosssst everyone, but you will have a good life. Ssssso which one wantsss to come with me?"

There were three "I do's" coming from the cage. After a quiet moment Harry thought _'Why not? They can keep each other company when I'm not around'_ "Ok I'll take all three of you if you want?"

"Yessss."

"Yessss."

"Yesss pleasssse."

"Fine. I'll be right back to pick you up. Pleassse be quiet if other humansss are around. I don't want other humansss to know that I can ssspeak the noble sssnake language. Ok."

Three "Yesss sssspeaker's." later and Harry returned to the front of the shop. There was a little old lady behind the counter selling a brown Barn Owl to a customer.

When the transaction was complete Harry approached and asked, "Hello, I need some owl treats and was wondering how much the three Pythons you have in the back are?"

"The Three African Bush Pythons? They are three Galleons apiece. Their venom and skin are excellent potion ingredients."

Harry had to hold back his original response of ' _Potion ingredients! Why would I kill them for something like potion ingredients?_ ' Instead he said "Yes, so nine Galleons. How much for the cage and some food for them?"

"Three sickles for the cage and two Knuts for ten feeder mice. Oh, and three knuts for a package of owl treats."

"Ok. Please pack them up. I'll also take the cage, thirty mice and ten packages of the owl treats." The little old lady trotted off to the back and Harry brought out his money pouch. When she returned and harry paid, another customer entered and she left to help them. "I'm going to have to put you all in thissss trunk for a little while." Harry said while enlarging his trunk. "Don't worry, it is larger on the insssside. I have a few more thingssss to do before we can head home, but ssssoon I will let you out and feed you."

"That is Ok sssspeaker. We are ussssed to sssssmall sssspacessss, and we ate thissss morning sssso we aren't too hungry." Sssloker replied.

"Oh, OK. It ssssshouldn't be too long. And call me Harry." Putting the cage and owl and snake food away, Harry reshrunk the trunk and wandered back into the alley.

Having an hour to kill, he wandered the alley looking for anything that caught his fancy. Deciding to go to Flourish & Blotts another day, after he has read and possibly reread the books he already has, Harry did find one or two small knick knacks that caught his eye, like a new watch and assorted Zonco's products, before heading for an ice cream sunday. Looking at his new watch and seeing it was after three, Harry made his way back to see Carla and pick up his new pair of glasses. He did feel a little creepy flirting with someone at least five years older, but also he felt a little good. Too bad he had to lie about who he really is.

Entering the shop saw Carla's face lightening up with a beautiful smile. "Hi Sam!"

'Hi Carla. "

When Harry arrived at home he made a bee line immediately for his room into his trunk, going directly to the third compartment. Letting out the three snakes, he fed each a mouse for being such good sports. "Thissss will be your new home for the next few weekssss. We will be moving into the casssstle in Sssseptember and then I will sssshow you to the chamber. I hope you like it."

Sssloker, Sssslisssser and Ssssliter started to explore their new habitat and after about five minutes came back to Harry and said "Thissss issss fine assss long assss we have ssssomething to eat, there sssshould be no problemssss."

Glad that there didn't seem to be any conflicts Harry started putting away the rest of his purchases. The food he put in the pantry and the butter beer he put in the chilled icebox.  
Tomorrow he would go into the Muggle world and see what they had for his new flat. Returning to the couch with an already cold butter beer ' _That icebox sure work fast._ ' he sat down and started a conversation with three snakes. "OK, my primary reasssson for getting all three of you issss sssso that when I get back to sssschool, Hogwartssss, that isss the casssstle I told you about, I have a lot of people who I'm not ssssure if they have my best interesssst at heart. I would like each of you to randomly wander the casssstle and groundssss and keep an eye on one or two people I point out to you and tell me if they mention me or really anything that they ssssay assss long assss you are ssssafe in doing ssso."  
"That sssshould be eassssy enough we are sssstill being fed though right?"  
"Of coursssse. I would like to think that we will be friendssss and I take care of my friendssss."

"Friendssss. I would like to be your friend."

"And I would like to alsssso."

"Me too, me too."

"Well friendssss, isss there anything I can do for you that will make you more comfortable?"  
"If you could provide a dark and warm sssspace for us to ssssleep that would be great."  
"Let'ssss ssssee, there issss a permanent warming charm on your cage and I can cover it up to provide the darknesssss. Do you mind using that for now until I can find something a little more permanent?"  
"That will be fine Harry we don't mind ssssharing we are from the ssssame hatching after all."  
"You're all brotherssss?"  
"We're all sssisssters. Couldn't you tell?"  
"Whoopssss, ssssorry, and I couldn't tell. I didn't mean to offend but it'ssss hard to tell the difference in a boy and a girl sssspeaking this language. I've only talked to two other sssnakessss before and one didn't talk back."  
"No offensssse taken it has been a long day for usss ssso if you could pleasssse ssset that up we would like to go to ssssleep."  
"Not a problem. Issss thisss corner OK for you? Here let me put a cover on." The snakes entered the cage again and Harry asked, "Issss that good for you?"  
"Thissss isss fine but pleasssse leave the door to the cage open."  
"Not a problem."  
Harry sat down on the couch and pulled the Curse Breaker guidebook out and started to flip through it. ' _Boy you sure looks like runes are going to be the main focus of what I'll be dealing with. I'll probably have to take ancient runes this next semester. if it means I can drop divination that won't be too much of a problem, I'll ask Barkaxe when I see him next week what he recommends, who knows what they'll teach me over the summer.'_  
Deciding to have a stew for dinner he went back to the kitchen, pulled one out of the pantry, set it in a pot on the stove and heated it up.  
The next morning, Harry woke with a start to find three snakes lying on top of him and one gently tickling his ear with its tongue. "Shit." Harry's heart was beating so fast and his sleep addled mind took a moment to realize that the three snakes were the ones that he bought the day before. They seemed to be laughing at him; it was hard to tell with all the hissing  
"Time to get up Harry! it issss morning and it issss time to sssstart the day!"  
Calming down you took a few moments and then Harry asked, "What time is it?"  
"How sssshould we know? All we know is that it'ssss morning and it'ssss time to sssstart the day."  
"Looking at his watch her he saw that it was five in the morning he just got to sleep a little after midnight being so engrossed in the new book and five hours sleep is diffidently not enough. But how do you argue with three snakes? "It'ssss too early. I ussssually ssssleep in for another two hours or three if I'm lucky."  
"Why? It issss morning and it'sss time to sssstart doing things."  
"Normal humans sssstart the day a little later because we usually sssspend more time at night awake then you I guesssss."

"But you're not a normal human you're a sssspeaker."

Harry could tell that this was an argument he probably wasn't going to win, especially this early in the morning. Deciding to get up, he made his way to the bathroom to do the morning activities and take a shower to help wake him up. Going into the living room he found the three snakes on the couch and asked if they needed in mouse for breakfast or if there was anything else they wanted.  
"No usssually we eat every 2 to 3 days and we had a lot yessssterday sssso we sssshould be good for a while"

Deciding to have a breakfast of fruit, Harry talked to the snakes and told him what his plans for the day were. "There are sssstill many things that I have to get sssso I will be leaving in a little while. The place where we are now is my relativesss housssse, I do not like them and they will definitely not like you sssso you will sssspending mosssst of your time in the trunk. They are away for the next few daysss sssso I will let you explore but remember to sssstay invisible to anyone other than me unlessss I sssay otherwissse. Now I know you can turn invisssible but there issss there anything elsssse that you can do?"  
"We can alsssso sssenssse when ssssomething magical isss nearby. It issss just a vague feeling but we know when ssssomething isss not normal."  
"Cool! When I let you out to explore the resssst of the housssse can you tell me if you can ssssenssse anything magical, other than me of coursssse?"

"Yessss Harry." All three said.

Going downstairs with the three snakes, Harry started doing some of the chores on his list while the snakes explored. Three hours later found Sssloker, Sssslisssser, Ssssliter, and Harry in the kitchen. "Sssso, what do you guyssss, I mean gallsss think? Did you find anything magical?"

"There is ssssomething magical in the ssssmall room under the sssstairssss."

"That would be my Firebolt. The Dursleyssss locked it up when I got home."

We couldn't find anything elsssse, but there isss a feeling of like, a bubble ssssurrounding the housssse. There isss alsssso a magical cat in the back yard."

Racing to the kitchen door Harry saw one of Mrs. Figgs cats lounging around the back yard. When the cat saw Harry, it immediately took off. ' _That was strange.'_ Harry thought. "OK. I didn't know there were any other magical creaturessss around. The cat belongssss to a neighbor, Mrs. Figg. Sssshe hasss lotssss of catssss and I don't know if all her catssss are magical. The feeling of a magical bubble mussst be wardsss protecting the housssse. That must be why Dumbledore keepsssss sssending me back here." Inside Harry thought, ' _Couldn't any home be warded? Why do I have to keep coming back here? Isn't the Weasleys' house warded? Isn't Rons' older brother a cursebreaker? I'll have to check out the wards when I learn more about them.'_ Continuing out loud, "I am going out for a little while. While the Dursleyssss are gone you can sssstay in the housssse or you can sssstay in the trunk. When the Dursleyssss return you will have to sssstay in the trunk. Sssso, what do you want to do?"

"We will sssstay out here until you get back." Replied Sssslisssser.

"Not a problem. I'll be back ssssoon." Gabbing a bottomless backpack and making sure he had his glamour necklace, Harry left to get some muggle clothes, more food, and whatever stroked his fancy.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Seven Training and the Dursleys Return

The following week flew by with Harry finishing up his chore list and a lot of studying. There were also a few more trips to muggle shops, the food in the muggle world was cheaper and had a wider variety. Filling his pantry and icebox after many trips to various stores to avoid suspicion, Harry finally thought, _'At least I won't be hungry this summer.'_

Sssloker, Sssslisssser and Ssssliter spent most of their time lazing around the trunk. Harry found that they liked to eat small animals and birds, so he had to make sure that they understood that Hedwig, and really all owls were off limits. The neighborhood cats were also off the menu. There was some grumbling at first, but with Harry promising to provide regular food, they agreed to leave the cats and owls alone. This was important because the first time Pigwidgen showed up, Harry could tell that he would have been Ssslokers lunch.

Practicing for six hours a day in the trunk brought Harrys' skills way up. The target dummies were an excellent training aid. They moved around the room and fired colored lights back at Harry. The extra power boot from the removal of the Horcrux, found him casting his spells with more power and over a longer period of time. All the practice found the power level of his casting under a great deal of control. He was also learning new spells and perfecting old spells at an alarming rate, _'If I spend the time actually working on the spells, it's not that hard. I sure wasted a lot of time at school_.' Harry thought to himself.

Harry spent most of his time on Charms and Defense of the Dark Arts. Transfiguration was still a little hard for him and he didn't bother with Herbology or Potions. He did crack open a few creature books but didn't spend a lot of time on them. Dragons were interesting though and he could understand Hagrid's fascination with them. Every night Harry practiced the meditation recommended in his Oclumancy books, with not much luck so far. Clearing the mind was hard, and he couldn't find his 'core' yet. This was also the first step to become an Animagus, so it was killing two birds with one stone.

The biggest surprise for Harry was finding out how much runes could do. They were the foundation for most wards, and almost all enchanted items were that way because of runes. There were privacy wards, silencing wards, _'This should help with Rons snoring_.' anti-magic wards, magic detecting wards, intruder detecting wards, and many more. All this was in the few rune and warding books he already had, which wasn't much. Harry definitely wanted to transfer into Ancient Runes this new term.

After a week, it was time to pick up the Time Turner. Setting the glamour necklace for blond hair, blue eyes, darker skin and a slightly higher voice, Harry put on his black robes and Acramantula Silk cloak and hid his purchased invisibility cloak. He left for the park, activated the necklace, and flagged down the Knight Bus.

Going directly to Borgin & Burkes, Harry entered the shop to find Mr. Borgin alone behind the counter. Walking directly to him, Harry said right away, "Money has no value, yet money is all."

Again Borgin left to lock the front door. When he returned he spoke. "How can I help a valued customer of Gringotts today?"

"I was here a week ago and purchased many 'Treasures' including this necklace," Harry pulled down the collar of his robes and showed the necklace, "and also paid half for a Time Turner that you said would be available today."

Not recognizing the face but recognizing the glamour necklace, "Yes, of course. It came in yesterday. I'll be right back." Going into the back room for a few minutes, Borgin returned with a small wooden box. Opening the lid he showed Harry a small gold hourglass attached in a gold circle on a gold chain. It looked larger than the one he and Hermione used a few months ago. "You are lucky. I was able to acquire a deluxe model."

"Deluxe model?" Questioned Harry.

"Yes, most Time Turners go back up to twelve hours in a single use. This one can go back twenty four. Unfortunately the cost is higher."

Harry lifted the Time Turner up, admiring the delicate piece. "How much more?"

"Two thousand Galleons."

"Two thousand?" Harry put down the Time Turner and was quiet for a minute, "OK. Two thousand…If you throw in any books you have on runes."

Borgin was quiet for a few moments thinking, _' I can throw two or three books in no problem. This sale along with what he bought last time, I'm still making a nice profit._ ' Aloud, he spoke, " Deal. That makes the new total to…eight thousand galleons."

"Fine."

"Remember, only activate this in a heavily warded area or the Ministry will detect it. One turn per hour repeated."

"Will the trunk I bought work?"

"Oh yes, that will work just fine. Also anywhere with a high concentration of magic like Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade will hide the activation from the Ministry."

Paying the bill and picking up the Time Turner and three more runes books, Harry left back to Diagon Alley.

Changing his glamour back to his Sam Underhill persona, Harry had lunch at the Leaky Cauldron. Most of the conversation was about the upcoming Quidditch World Cup so Harry kept to himself, only talking with Tom. Thanking him for an excellent meal, complimenting him about his 'To Go' order, saying, "The food is working out great." and buying another case of Butterbeer, Harry headed to Flourish & Blotts. Spending over three hours browsing and picking out books Harry ended up with,

Self-Updating Wizard Law book

Modern Wizarding History

Runes of the World

Runes of the Ancient World

Sumerian Runes

Germanic Runes

Acadian Runes

Master Runes

Master Charms

Master Transfiguration

Master Defense Against the Dark Arts

Guide to Pureblood Etiquette

Wards for the Home

Enchanting for Beginners

Master Enchanting

Master Potions

Basic Healing

Master Healing

Household Charms

Curses and Counter Curses

Magical Construction

Magical Plants and Fungi

5 Minute Meals: It's Magic

Harvesting Magical Creatures

Magical Prospecting: How to Mine and Process Your Find

It's a Small World: Space Enhancing

He also picked up Hogwarts: A History. _'Hermione will love that I finally have a copy of this book._ ' Having to show his curse breaker ID to buy the Master books, Harry decided to head home, but before leaving the alley he found a dark deserted alcove, one he saw earlier, and fished out the Time Turner and invisibility cloak. Checking his watch and finding he has been in the Alley for five hours, He turned the hourglass five times to the familiar sensation of watching the world go backward extremely fast before settling again. Staying in the alcove with the invisibility cloak on, ten minutes passed until Harry saw a familiar person passing by and looking around and into the alcove he was in. Smiling to himself, Harry waited five more minutes before removing the cloak and heading home.

Three more days passed with more practicing, experimenting, studying, and talking to Sssloker, Sssslisssser and Ssssliter. Ok, with the Time Turner it was more like four or five days. Harry worked out system where he would wake up, eat breakfast, go into the training room, turn back time for four or five hours.

After practicing for two or three hours, he would go into the third room that he has set up as a potion lab, even though it hasn't been used as that yet, and study until he heard his earlier self get up and enter the training room. He would then have another meal and go back to sleep for another few hours or leave the trunk. Staying out the trunk until he knew he couldn't run into himself, he would spend the rest of the day doing chores or anything else he felt like.

Turning Back time really freaked out Sssloker, Sssslisssser and Ssssliter. Taking them back once really screwed up their internal clock and it took them about a month to completely recover and they refused to do it again. It took them about a week to really understand seeing Harry enter a room, come out another, go into another, and then coming out another. This made Harry laugh at their confused grumblings. Hedwig really never knew what was going on because she spent all her time out of the trunk, she didn't like being locked in.

Receiving an owl from Gringotts one day before his appointment with Barkaxe, with a note that said only "8am." Harry packed up his trunk, set out to the park and activated the Portkey at 7:45. Arriving in an almost empty room, Harry was met with a spear tip inches from his face. "Halt and identify yourself!" Grumbled out an armored goblin.

Gulping, Harry answered, "H-Harry Potter. I have an appointment with Account Manage Barkaxe at eight."

Lifting the spear, the goblin said, "Your early, you will have to wait."

Nodding, too nervous to speak, Harry waited. At eight a goblin came to collect him and take him to Barkaxe. Seeing Barkaxe, Harry finally started to relax. "Hello Account Manager Barkaxe. Thank you again for setting this up for me. I'm sorry that I arrived too early. "

Understandable Mr. Potter. Next time try to be more punctual."

"Ok. I didn't want to be late and figured that it would take a few minutes to reach your office and wanted to be here by eight."

"Most humans think that way Mr. Potter. In the future when we give a time, arrive no more than five minutes early."

"Sure, no problem." Harry replied feeling a little nervous again. He definitely didn't want to annoy the Goblins.

"Good, now onto business. Cursebreaker Swiftdeath has taken an interest in you and has agreed to train you. You should feel honored Mr. Potter."

Harry was surprised. He didn't think that Swiftdeath thought that much of him when they met before. "Thank you and thank Swiftdeath.' He said excitedly.

A scary, toothy grin formed on Barkaxes face, "Don't be too excited Mr. Potter, Because of your limitations as a human and the time and secrecy constraints, you will find the training extreme."

A knot formed in Harry's stomach after hearing this. Steeling his resolve, Harry responded, "I will do my best."

"I'm sure you will Mr. Potter. You definitely have enough motivation. Now I understand you have acquired a Time Turner? Please bring it out and follow me."

Following Barkaxe down many twisting and turning hallways for five minutes, found Harry in a large cave like room with two stone desks with stone chairs, many stone archways scattered around the room and Swiftdeath looking impatient. Or normal for him as Harry would find out. Barkaxe spoke, "Mr. Potter, your new teacher, Swiftdeath. You will be brought to this room from the Portkey room at eight. You will then turn back time for six hours and train with Swiftdeath. Then you will be returned to another portkey room and leave almost as soon as you arrived originally. You will do this six days a week for the remainder of the summer. You can begin as soon as I leave, and Mr. Potter, good luck."

Barkaxe turned around and left the room. Harry turned to Swiftdeath and waited for him to speak. "Come here Mr. Potter so we can get started and stop wasting time." Harry put the chain of the Time Turner around himself and Swiftdeath. The chain magically expanded to go around both necks. Six turns found both in the same room. "Now Mr. Potter, bring out the supplies you were told to acquire before this meeting."

Expanding his trunk and removing Master Runes, Runes of the world, Runes of the ancient world, Curse breaker guide book, the Cursebreaker field kit, the Dragon hide vest and gloves, and a variety of blank rune stones. There was also a bag of oranges. Harry couldn't figure why there were oranges on the list. He was still too nervous/excited to speak, so he laid it all on one of the stone tables for Swiftdeath to examine.

"This will do." Said Swiftdeath. "We will be spending our short time learning how to identify and counter many different types of wards and curses. Most of this is accomplished by being able to identify different runes and distinguishing the different types of magic on an item. Carving runes will be required and I expect you to practice before our time here."

"Yes sir." Harry nervously replied.

"I am led to believe that you are entering fourth year and haven't taken runes last year?"

"Yes sir. I have been going through the books on the list and am a quick study."

"A quick study," Swiftdeath said sarcastically. "we shall see. Come to this arch and tell me what the runes say."

Harry examined the arch for five minutes before turning back to Swiftdeath, "I can only recognize three of the runes. This one here says," pointing to a circle with a squiggly line thru it, "means frozen. This one means," Pointing to a lopsided upside down U shape, "means enter, and this one means," pointing to a straight line with a small 'bump' just off center, "means threshold."

"Correct Mr. Potter, on two of the three." Pointing to the straight line with a small 'bump' just off center, "This one means border. You were close but in the field, close is the difference between alive and dead. Now can you tell me what you think this arch does?"

Thinking for a few minutes, Harry responded, "It is an intruder ward that freezes anyone crossing it?"

"No Mr. Potter. It is a ward that removes snow and ice from anyone crossing through it. If you don't know what all the runes on an object do, you shouldn't fool around with it."

Swiftdeath spent the rest of the time teaching Harry to identify runes, how to bypass basic wards, how to use the scope and his new glasses to see magic, and the basics of carving runes, all without a wand. Harry still had a lot of ground to cover, and a lot of homework to do. Swiftdeath told him to spend at least two hours a day practicing carving runes, and at least three memorizing them and their meaning.

A little before 8 am again, a goblin came to collect Harry. Following him to another Portkey room, Harry went home.

At the end of the week the Dursley's returned home from their vacation. "Boy! Get down here and bring the luggage to our rooms!" Vernon yelled.  
Harry groaned when he heard Vernon's voice and found his way downstairs. "Your rooms are locked. How am I supposed to bring your luggage there?"

"Don't give me attitude boy!" Vernon yelled back but Harry could tell that you forgot about the locks and was embarrassed. "Leave the luggage for now and make us lunch."  
Not wanting to start any trouble yet Harry kept quiet and headed toward the kitchen, making grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup for the Dursley's. Harry made four sandwiches each for Vernon and Dudley and one for Petunia. He even made one for himself and served them all.  
Beginning in the kitchen then inspecting the rest of the house, unlocking all the doors, Petunia and Vernon joined Dudley at the kitchen table. "The house looks in order boy. You didn't do any of your freakishness while we were gone did you?"  
Harry rolled his eyes, "No uncle Vernon, there was no freakishness going on while you were gone."  
"Watch the attitude boy! It is only with our good graces that find you with a roof over your head, and what are you doing with that sandwich? Normal food is for normal people!" Dudley sat back, already on his second sandwich, happy to watch Harry get yelled at.

Getting tired of Vernon's attitude Harry decided it's time to play his trump card. "I guess my godfather Sirius was right. You couldn't resist causing problems." Vernon started to get up to grab Harry, but Before Vernon reached him, harry continued, "Oh there is a restriction on me using underage magic," Vernon froze, shuddering at the word magic, "But there is no restriction on an adult wizard doing the same."

Gettiung scared, angry and just plain ugly looks at this announcement, Vernon and Petunia sat back down. Petunia said, "That doubly door fellow said that other wizards couldn't do magic here!"  
"Only wizards that wanted to hurt me or my family couldn't do magic here. You remember how I told you that an elf floated that pudding on Mr. what's his names head during that dinner party two years ago? That elf wanted to get me in trouble, but he was using magic a lot before then. Besides, only you and Dudley are any blood relations. Vernon isn't."  
"Vernon was turning purple, but after that last statement, he became white like a ghost. "Is it true, Petunia dear?"  
"I'm not sure Vernon I don't know what the freaks can do or what they can't."  
"Boy, don't threaten me. Like you said, they can't do anything to Petunia or Dudley."  
"I don't think they can. But then have I ever really been part of the family?" Harry asked questionably.  
All the Dursley's now were white. Harry said "Now I don't want any trouble, and having you cursed will only cause more trouble than it's worth, so how about we make a deal? My godfather left me some money." Harry saw the greedy look enter Vernon's eye. "Now don't get any bright ideas. You can't spend it in the Muggle, normal world, only in the magical one, and I know you would never go there. Now, I can come and go as I please, no more cooking for you all, or doing chores anymore. I can provide my own food and if you are good and I am picked up by my friends a few weeks before school, I will convert some of it into muggle money and give it to you."

"What's to stop us from taking the money and kicking you out of the house?" practically yelled Vernon.  
"Nothing, but like I said you couldn't use it and my godfather, and probably even my friends family, would find out and it would only cause you problems. Magical problems."

Vernon turning purple said. "Go to your room! Petunia and I have to discuss this and we don't want to see you again until we call for you. Stay in your room!"

Harry went upstairs, happy with getting out of the kitchen without being assaulted and with the grilled cheese sandwich. That night nothing happened, Harry heard loud voices coming from downstairs the rest of the day and through the night. He slept in his room that night, staying out of the trunk in case the Dursley's came into his room. He slept in his clothes and kept the trunk in his pocket in case anything happened. The next morning after breakfast was over, the Dursley's called him downstairs. Dudley wasn't there, but Vernon and Petunia were. "How much money are we talking about?"

"What?"

"You said you would give us money before you leave, how much were you talking about?"  
"I'm not sure of the conversion rate, but I believe it will come out to about 1000 pounds."  
The greedy twinkle was back in Vernon's eyes. "Fine we can agree to no more chores and no more meals if you agree to spend the day away from the house. If you leave before eight in the morning and not return till after eight at night, we don't want to see you around. If you agree with this, and can give us half the money upfront, you have a deal."  
Harry couldn't believe it worked. ' _I guess the threat of magic and the promise of money was just too much for the Dursley's.'_ He knew he would have to avoid Dudley out in the world, but knew he could easily with his new face and his invisibility cloak. "Fine to get the money I will have to go to London to get it converted to muggle, normal money. I also have no problem staying out all day, you won't see me or even know I'm here, but I will want my wand and broomstick back."

"You said you can't use magic! why do you need your wand? Or the broomstick?" Asked Petunia.  
I'm not going to use them, but I need the wand for identification at the wizard bank, and I just want to have my broomstick with me. Don't worry I will keep them both locked up in my trunk. You won't see them or me for that matter, unless by accident."  
After a few minutes of quiet discussion between Vernon and Petunia, they agreed and Vernon said he would take him to the bus stop to London in the morning. "You will have to find your way to and back from London on your own. I have to be at work. If there is money on the table by the time I get home the deal is set. Go to your room, I don't want to see you until tomorrow. We leave at 8:30."  
Harry immediately went up to his room and into the trunk and told Sssloker, Sssslisssser and Ssssliter exactly what happened. They were happy to hear that he was able to get exactly what he wanted, a relatively Dursley free summer, but were a little upset about having to spend the rest of the summer in the trunk. Harry reassured them that he would try to take the trunk with him and would find a secluded spot and let them out so they could explore and hunt for themselves during the day. Being able to turn themselves invisible made Harry OK with this. Noticing that the Dursley's sent him to his room with no food, and that they didn't expect to see him until tomorrow, he decided to make himself something to eat, deciding not to use the Time Turner that day. Luckily it was his day off from training as he didn't want to have to wait any longer to get to London so we could pay off Vernon and start his new summer. This shouldn't affect his training with Swiftdeath, he would still show up at the bank at eight train, and be back a few minutes after he left. Now, he had to find a place to spend the day and somewhere he could let his friends, the snakes, out to explore. Harry didn't really have to go into London to get muggle currency, he had about 1500 pounds left, but he decided to spend the time trying out is Evan James identity at the Barclays branch in London. Plus making Vernon wait was always fun. He also wanted to go visit Harrods, he heard it is the biggest department store in the world.  
Around six he left his trunk and spent the rest of the evening in his old bedroom in case the Dursley's checked on him, even though he was pretty sure they wouldn't. Sleeping on the old bed was uncomfortable after sleeping on the new one in his trunk. The next morning found him awake and ready at the downstairs door at 8:25 waiting for Vernon to be ready to go. He had left earlier using the Portkey to training and already returned and ate before meeting Vernon at the door. Swiftdeath would not understand missing a training session. Vernon didn't say anything to him just grunted and angled his head toward the car. Getting into the backseat, there's no way he was going to sit upfront with Vernon. Five minutes later found him being dropped off in front of the bus stop before Vernon took off again. Vernon didn't provide him with bus fare. _'I guess he expects me to find my own way there. Maybe magically,'_  
Harry took the bus to London and got off in downtown. Finding his way to Barclays after an hour long search wandering around, found him entering the bank.

"Hello welcome to Barclays how can I help you today?" asked the teller.  
Harry showed his Evan James ID and bankcard. "Yes I would like to withdraw some money from my account please."  
The teller eyed him suspiciously but took both IDs. After checking the account and seeing the extremely large balance, he called a manager over. After a few minutes of discussion, the manager asked Harry, or Evan, to follow him into his office.  
"Do not worry Mr. James there is no problem for a valued customer. Since this is the first visit made to this branch we would like to extend our hospitality and ask if there is anything you require from us?"  
Harry was quiet for a minute, it seems like the ID was working and they were trying to be helpful but he couldn't think of anything that he needed. He just wanted to check to see if you could get his money out. "No that's all right. I just wanted to withdrawal around 2000 pounds please."  
"Right away sir, I will be right back .how would you like that?"  
"A variety of 5, 10 and 20 pound notes would be fine please, thank you. At least 1000 in 50 pound notes in a separate envelope would be nice."

The manager left the office and Harry waited five minutes before the manager returned with two envelopes and he handed them to Harry. "All we need is your signature on the slip to authorize us to withdraw the funds and this transition will be complete." Harry signed the slip. The manager said "Thank you for your business today if Barclays can do anything for you in the future please don't hesitate to ask."  
"Thank you. Can you possibly give me directions to Harrods from here?"  
"Not a problem Mr. James, here and let me write it down for you."

Harry and he left the bank, following the instructions. Harrods was about a 5 to 10 minute walk away.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Eight Birthday Surprises and the Weasleys

The weeks passed by with no problems and Harry established a new routine. He would get up, turn back time and train and study as usual. Go to training with Swiftdeath, turn back time, and then explore Diagon Alley or muggle London as Sam Underhill. As Sam Underhill, Harry rented a loft above Madame Malkins which he used to turn back time and could come and go without arousing suspicion. He was living almost two days for each real one. His spell repertoire and understanding of runes was growing by leaps and bounds, and with the magical signature adjustment ring he could perform magic in the open.

During one of his study sessions, Harry came across tracking charms. Deciding to practice them, he started examining all his personal belongings. To his surprise he found some. There was one on Holly and Phoenix wand, one on his old glasses, and one on his fathers invisibility cloak. The one on his wand only activated when he used the wand, he figured might have to do with the trace…but the one on his glasses and cloak? ' _The only time this could have happened was when I was at Hogwarts or the Weasleys_." That was a disturbing thought. ' _Only Ron, Hermione and Dumbledore know about the cloak. Oh yeah, and also Snape since last term. Ron couldn't do it, Hermione could but wouldn't, that only leaves Snape and Dumbs. Snape hates me but I don't think he would stalk me, that only leaves Dumbledore. Barkake said he is my magical guardian, is this how he keeps track of me?"_ Harry was getting angrier and angrier, ' _This is all dumb ass does and he calls himself my magical guardian! That senile old bastard!_ ' He decided to alleviate some frustration in the training room,.

Three hours later found an exhausted Harry wondering what to do. ' _I'll leave the one on my old glasses and wand for now, but I'm definitely taking the one on my cloak off._ ' Examining it more closely found something interesting. There was a piece of fabric sewn into the bottom of the cloak under a notice-me-not charm. On the fabric there were runes that Harry had to look up. They turned out to be a tracking rune set, a notice-me-not rune set, and a magical suppression rune set. The tracking and the notice-me-not he could understand, but the magical suppression rune set? Deciding to bring the cloak to Swiftdeath to check out, Harry put it away for now.

Before he knew it, it was his birthday. Harry wasn't aware of this because of the repeating of days, until he received four birthday cakes from the Weasley's, Hermione, Hagrid, and surprisingly from Sirius. There was also card from Ron, Hermione, Hagrid and Remus with a handwritten note from Snuffles, aka Sirius inside. "Hey Prongslet, Happy Birthday! I am safe for now and wanted to let you know that you can get a note to me through Gringotts. Go to Account Manager Snarltoe and leave it for Han Solo. Great name isn't it? Loved that movie, tell you more later. Love Snuffles."

Harry was ecstatic, he had heard a few times from Ron and Hermione, but this was the first time he heard anything from Sirius since the train ride home from Hogwarts. Harry was glad he was safe and he now had a secure way to contact him. He wondered when Sirius had seen Star Wars. As had become standard procedure for him, he checked everything for tracking charms. Everything was clear, ' _Thank Merlin._ ' Deciding to take the day off of training, except for Swiftdeaths, he visited Alton Towers and had a great time. That night he was able to identify his Animagus form for the first time during meditation. He was a Black Capuchin monkey. ' _At least it isn't a useless form.'_

Life returned to routine until one day an envelope came for him the muggle way. The first sign that anything unusual was happening was that Vernon was waiting for him when he got home. He was as purple as the envelope he had in his hands. Vernon practically snarled at Harry, "The Postman delivered this to the house today." He shoved the envelope into Harry's hands.

Taking the envelope, Harry saw what probably set Vernon off. The whole envelope was covered in stamps except for a small box with the Dursley's address. Reading the note inside, Harry found it was an invitation to join the Weasley's for the Quidditch World Cup.

"The Postman noticed. Wanted to know where it came from. Thought that it was funny." Vernon spat out.

Trying to avoid a confrontation, Harry said. "I'm sorry uncle Vernon. Most wizards don't know how to do most… normal things. I'll write back and tell them not to send anything else here like this again." Vernon was still purple, but the shade was lightening. So Harry continued. "This also means that I will be leaving in a couple of days and you will get the last of the money."

Vernon's color was back to normal after that, or at least normal for Vernon, and the greedy gleam was back in his eye. "I'll want the money by tomorrow, or I won't allow you to go."

Harry thought, ' _I'd like to see you try to stop me_.' But aloud he said, "OK, I will go get it tomorrow." Harry turned and went up to his room and found Pigwidgen waiting for him.

Ron's note said "Hey Harry, how are the muggles treating you? Mom sent a letter in the muggle post. I don't know when it will get there but we are inviting you to the Quidditch World Cup. Dad got great tickets from of his contacts and we will be picking you up on Monday. The Quidditch World Cup starts Wednesday, so that'll give you little time to settle in. Hermione will be here too. See you Monday. Ron."  
Harry was happy to hear from Ron and excited to go to the World Cup, but he didn't want the Weasley's anywhere near the Dursley's, so he wrote back right away. "Hey Ron, thanks for the invitation I t sounds perfect. I can't wait to go. Do you know who's playing in the World Cup? I have made a little deal with the Dursley's, so it would probably be best if we met up at the Leaky Cauldron and we can floo back to the Burrow. You know how the Dursley's hate magic. Write back what time you want to meet and I will meet you then. Can't wait to see you, Hermione and the rest of the family. Harry."  
Sending the note back with Pigwidgen, who is still zooming around the room, annoying Hedwig, Harry decided to write a note to Sirius that he could drop off at the bank later. "Dear Padfoot, guess what? I just got invited to the World Cup by Ron! I will be leaving on Monday and won't be at the Dursley's again all summer! How is everything going for you? Are you still safe? Is Remus with you? Hope you are doing well and that I can see you again soon. Prongslet."  
Before he knew it, Monday arrived and Harry left the Dursley's home for the last time that summer. Arriving at the Leaky Cauldron at 10 am, Harry found Mr. Weasley, Ron, and the twins waiting for him.

"Well hello there Harry." said Mr. Weasley when Harry walked up to the table they were at. This caused all the patrons in the bar, including Tom to turn around and start staring at Harry.

The twins joined in next. "Harry, a pleasure to see you again."

Spiffing good to see you."

"Yes quite, quite. Always a pleasure." The twins both curtsied to Harry which made him and Ron laugh, and Mr. Weasley even sported a smirk.

Ron said, "Harry mate, good to see you. Looking good. The muggles have been good to you this summer."

Harry replied, "We came to an understanding and we kept out of each other's way. It was for the best. So where's Hermione?"

"We're waiting for her to arrive, should be here any minute. Do you want a butter beer? I bet you haven't had one in a while?" Ron said with a little smirk. The twins had already sat back down and were in a private discussion between themselves, Mr. Weasley had gone to the bar and was talking to Tom.

"Yeah, a butter beer sounds good."  
"It sure does. Why don't you go get us each one." Ron said with the laugh.  
Knowing it was just Ron's sense of humor, Harry just shrugged and went to the bar to order himself, Ron and Hermione a butter beer for when she arrived.  
It was about 10 minutes later when Hermione entered the bar, dragging her school trunk behind her. Spotting Harry and Ron sitting at a table she immediately joined them, sitting down with a huff. "The traffic is terrible and there is no parking anywhere in the city." She said to no one in particular. "Ron, Harry, had a good summer? I had a great time. My family went to France and I saw a loads of interesting things. Did you know… " She talked about trip for another five minutes straight before she took a breath and Harry was able to answer her.  
"Breath Hermione." said Harry. "Yes I had a good summer and am doing fine. It sound like you had fun. Are you excited about the World Cup?"

"Quidditch isn't my favorite thing, but it should be interesting seeing all the foreign witches and wizards. I bet we will learn a lot."

Ron snorted, "Figures, take her to the most exciting Quidditch game of the year and all she wants to do is learn about other witches is in wizards."

Harry had to agree, but Ron's attitude was a little harsh. It always has been, he realized. _'I wonder why I don't didn't notice how rude Ron has been before? I guess I always did but I chose to ignore it._ '

Hermione crossed her arms over her chest and said "Well it will be interesting seeing how all the foreign witches and wizards act." Turning to Harry she said, "Are those new clothes Harry? And glasses?"

"Yeah." Harry replied, "They were a gift from Sirius for my birthday. I also got a new robe." Harry noticed that there was a slight jealous look in Ron's face but didn't mention it.

Hermoine said "Isn't Sirius on the run? How could he buy you new glasses and clothes?"

"I'm not 100% sure but I do know that he has made contact with Remus so he must've gotten him a wand. Remus must have made the purchases for him." Replied Harry.

"OK, I guess that makes sense, as long as he's being safe. But how did you get you glasses if he doesn't know your prescription?"  
Thinking quickly Harry said. The glasses are magical and can adjust the prescription automatically."

Ron grumbled "Must've been expensive." Under his breath but Harry heard him.

Harry said, "Here Hermione, I got you a butter beer."

They sat for a few more minutes drinking their butter beer and catching up when Mr. Weasley rejoined the group and said OK it's time to go ."  
The twins spoke up, "Aren't we going into Diagon Alley?"

"Not today boys. Molly wants us home so that Harry and Hermione can get settled and meet your older brothers."

The twins looked crestfallen and Ron wasn't too different, but he did say "Yeah that's right, you'll get to meet Bill and Charlie. They were able to make it for the cup. They're the best."

The twins said "And what are we?"

"Chopped Dragon liver?"

Taking the floo one at a time back to the Burrow, Harry tumbled out the fireplace and saw the familiar site of the Weasley's living room. The twins were laughing when they helped pick him up and Mr. Weasley said. "Lunch will be in an hour. Boys why don't you take Harry and Hermione's trunk up to their rooms. You're going to share with Ron and Hermione, you're going to share Ginny. I hope this is OK?"

"Not a problem Mr. Weasley." said Harry.

"That will be fine Mr. Weasley." said Hermione. The twins carried Hermione's trunk and Ron and Harry carried Harry's. Harry was using his old-school trunk and packed everything he normally had in it, he kept his new trunk hidden in his pocket. He wasn't sure why but he didn't want to share the secret of his new trunk with Ron and Hermione yet. He was sure he could trust them, but it just felt like something he should keep private for now.  
Lunch was a rambunctious affair. Coming down to the kitchen area, Harry was introduced to Bill. The only way to describe Bill was… cool. He had dragon hide clothes, long hair pulled back in a ponytail, and had what look like a Dragon tooth earring. Charlie on the other hand looked tough .He was more muscular then Bill and had what looked like many healed burns along the exposed part of his arms. Both the older brothers were nice and Harry got along with them just fine. He had more in common with Bill than even Bill knew, considering all the training in cursebreaking he was getting from Swiftdeath. He spent most of his time talking to Bill about the tombs he was exploring in Egypt.

Bill said, "Boy, I'm glad I was get able to get time off to see the World Cup. It should be an exciting game. Who do you think is going to win Harry? Ireland or Bulgaria?"  
"I think Ireland will win." said Harry "It's too bad that Britain wasn't in the World Cup."  
"Yeah, too bad." Bill said "That was embarrassing, that was."

"What about Krum?" said Ron. "He is the best seeker there it is!"

"Krum is good, but Ireland as a whole has a better team." said Charlie.

"I just like the green on Ireland." said Harry and everyone laughed.

That night in Ron's room, the snoring was worse than Harry remembered. He was glad that he came prepared, bringing out a specially carved rune stone he prepared before arriving, Harry pushed some magic into it to activate it and placed it under his pillow. The rune stone created a bubble of silence 2 feet in all directions for six hours. Harry figured he could make a fortune with these, selling them to his roommates and maybe some of the other years. He would have to ask around if the other years had similar problems and see if he could ask Hermione or Ginny to ask around the girl side. Probably Ginny, Harry didn't think Hermione would be interested in helping. Too much like violating a rule or something.  
The next morning Harry woke at his regular time around 5:30. Ron was still asleep so Harry went downstairs where he found Mrs. Weasley in the kitchen starting preparation for breakfast. "Hi Mrs. Weasley."  
"Oh hello Harry dear. You're up early aren't you?"

"I started getting up this early over the summer. It was easier to avoid the Dursley's if I was out of the house before they woke up, and I started exercising and exploring the neighborhood."

"Oh OK. Would you like anything to eat or drink? The full breakfast isn't ready yet but I could make you some toast and get you some juice or some tea?"

"No thank you Mrs. Weasley. I still want to keep up some of the habits I formed. I'm going to walk around the Burrow and do a little exploring. I will be back in a little while."

"That's OK dear. The kids usually have a bit of a lie in during the summer and breakfast is served around nine. Remember to stay on the property."

"I'll make sure I'm back before then Mrs. Weasley." Harry said and then left through the kitchen door. Harry wandered for it while searching out the perimeter of the Burrows ward lines with his glasses and looking for a secluded spot to set up his trunk.  
He decided not to do his normal training today, instead he mapped the Burrows ward boundaries and set up his trunk at a spot at the end of the orchard right before the ward line. He went into his trunk and found the snakes anxiously waiting for him.  
"What took you sssso long Harry?" said Ssssliter, "We have been waiting forever."

"Oh don't be sssso dramatic." Harry said. "I ssssaw you yesssterday morning and gave you each a large mousssse for your trouble."

"But it isss sssso boring being cooped up here when you aren't around."

"I know, but now that we are at the Weasssley'ssss certain thingssss will probably have to change."

"Like what?" ask Sssslisssser?"

"Well. tomorrow I am going to have to go to the World Cup which meanssss I might not be back for a day or two. Maybe longer."

"Doesss thisss mean we have to ssstay in the truck for ssseveral daysss . We'll sssstarve." Said Sssloker.

"You can either ssstay in the trunk… or if you promissse to ssstay invisssible, I can let you out and you can explore the groundsss of the Burrow. I can even make you a place to sssleep at night that isss warm and covered. There are lotsss of little creaturesss around so you definitely won't ssstarve. if you can catch them that isss."There were indignant grumblings from all three snakes at this and Harry just laughed. "I'm jussst kidding. I know you three are good huntersss. You ssshowed me that before when I let you out in the park."

"That'sss right, and don't you forget it." Said Sssloker.

Harry spent the rest of that morning setting up a perimeter of ward stones that covered two meters in a Notice –Me-Not and a rune set that kept magic from being detected, similar to the one in his trunk. A little farther out he placed an intruder alert ward to tell him if any of the Weasley's were getting close. He then dug a hole and buried a stone with a permanent warming rune set carved on it and then found some branches and made a little hut over it for the snakes. When 8 o'clock came around, Harry stepped over the Weasley property ward line, activated his Portkey, and a minute later arrived back after having trained with Swiftdeath for six hours. He headed back to the Burrow to have breakfast with the Weasley's, his second of the day.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Nine The World Cup

Harry woke up to Hermione shaking him. "Time to get up Harry. Ron wake up. We're taking a Portkey in a little over an hour. Get up now."

Harry watched Hermione leave the room and looked over and saw Ron still asleep, snoring away. Luckily Swiftdeath gave him two days off of training with the understanding that he wouldn't have another day off until he left for Hogwarts. Downstairs found a sleepy set of twins, Ginny and Mr. Weasley around the kitchen table. Hermione and Mrs. Weasley were the only ones, other than Harry, who seemed completely awake.

"Good morning Harry dear."

"Good morning Mrs. Weasley."

"There's tea and toast on the table. There isn't time for a full breakfast before you leave. Where's Ron?"

Harry sat down, "He was still in bed when I came down."

"That lazy boy. Eat up Harry, I'll go get him." Mrs. Weasley went upstairs and Harry heard her yelling at Ron a minute later. Everyone at the table flinched.

Harry turned to Mr. Weasley, "Where are Bill, Charlie, and Percy?

"They are going to apparate later this afternoon, so they are sleeping in." Said Mr. Weasley.

After Mrs. Weasley's screaming at Ron, Harry doubted they were still asleep. "How are we getting there?"

"Were taking a Portkey from Stoats Head Hill. It's the only way to transport so many underage witches and wizards. We'll have to get going soon to make it on time. I wonder what's taking Ron so long?"

At that moment Ron ,followed by Mrs. Weasley, entered the kitchen. Mrs. Weasley said, "Harry dear, why don't you leave your school list and I will pick up supplies for you. There's no telling how long the match will last. Last time it lasted five days."

"I hope it lasts that long this time!" Said one of the twins. Most people seemed to agree.

All Harry could think wa _s, 'It better not last five dsys, Swiftdeath would kill me making up the time missed. Dumbledore must have taken the money from my account. Mrs. Weasley never mentioned it to me._ ' Harry was angry but just smiled and gave his list to Mrs. Weasley. "Do you need any money Mrs. Weasley? I have a little but I haven't made it to the bank yet."

"That's OK dear. Don't you worry."

That confirmed it for Harry. ' _Yup, dunb ass taking MY money again without telling me. I'll have to wait and see if Mrs. Weasley gives back any of the change. I hope so, I'd hate to think she was stealing from me_.' Finishing his tea, Harry turned to Mr. Weasley and asked, "Where's the World Cup being held?"

"That was a pickle I tell you. The Ministry found a Moor far enough away from too many muggles that we were able to ward to keep any muggles away. It took a team of over 100 wizards over two months to get it ready. And the problem of coordinating so many foreign witches and wizards arriving… I'm just glad that it wasn't my department." Said Mr. Weasley with a relieved sigh. "OK boys… and girls, time to go."

It was a long walk to Stoats Head Hill. On the way Harry asked, "What are we going to do on a Moor until the game starts?"

"Oh, the Ministry set up a couple of campgrounds. There will also be vendors so you should all be entertained until game time." Said Mr. Weasley.

When they finally arrived there were two people already there, one that Harry recognized. "Over here Arthur!" shouted the man standing with the one Harry recognized as Cedric Diggory.

"Ah Amos, right." The group moved to the now identified Diggory's. "Good to see you, and you too Cedric. Any trouble finding the place?" Asked Mr. Weasley.

"Not a bit. These all yours? Must of cost you a fortune for tickets." Said Mr Diggory.

"No, just the redheads." Said Mr. Weasley. "I was able to help Ludo out of a tight spot and he hooked me up. These are my sons Fred, George, and Ron. My daughter Ginny, and Ron's friends, Hermione and Harry. Everyone, this is Amos Diggory, he works with me at the Ministry. And I think you know his son Cedric." Everyone said hi or nodded to the other.

"Harry? Harry Potter?" exclaimed Amos, looking Harry up and down. "Ced's told me about you. The only one to beat ya to the snitch." Mr Diggory looked extremely proud.

Cedric looked sheepish. "I told ya dad. There was an accident. That's why I got it first." The Weasley children started to throw dirty looks at the Diggory's. Harry just looked away. ' _Prick_.' He thought. ' _At least Cedric doesn't seem to be gloating_.'

Mr. Weasley butted in, "Right. Two Minutes till were off. Everyone gather round." They all surrounded Mr. Diggory who was holding a mangled old boot. "All you have to do is touch the Portkey."

Two minutes of silence later and Harry felt the familiar sensation of a hook pulling him from behind the navel. Mr. Weasley, Mr. Diggory, Cedric, and surprisingly Harry were the only ones not on the ground when they arrived. Harry knew that it was because he had gotten used to Portkey travel, taking two a day to and from Gringotts. At the surprised looks from everyone, he said. "What? "

"How are you standing?" asked Hermione.

He just shrugged. "Don't know? Just lucky."

"Alright let's move on. Don't want to be here when the next Portkey arrives." Said Mr. Weasley and they left the arrival zone to look for their spot. A few minutes later the Diggory's veered off.

"We're this way Arthur. See you later. Nice to meet you all." Said Mr. Diggory. Cedric just waved bye.

A chorus of "Byes." and a "See ya Ced." Later found the group looking for their assigned spot. The whole area had a carnival like atmosphere. At least it's what Harry assumed a carnival would be like, having never been to one. There were witches and wizards in an wild assortment of extravagant and brightly colored robes all over. Most of the tents seemed to match the exuberance of the wizards. Harry thought, ' _Dumbledore would be jealous of some of the robes I've seen_.' People were traveling up and down the aisles of tents selling all manner of things, from pennants, hats, programs, to food of all types and smells.

"Here we are." Said Mr. Weasley stopping an a clear spot between a purple tent and an orange tent with green polka dots that were moving around. Setting up the two tents he brought with a flick of his wand. "Thank merlin that the ministry decided to make this a completely muggle free zone. Could you imagine trying to keep all this quiet with muggles around?" Harry had to agree. "Well, everyone, drop off your things inside and then you can go exploring, as long as you stay together in groups. Or you can lie down for a while. Boys on the right and girls on the left."

Everyone was too excited to lie down so they followed Mr. Weasley into the tent to drop off their bags. Harry was amazed, but not too surprised when he entered the tent and found that it was bigger on the inside. There was a living room area with a couch and dining table, a kitchen, a bathroom, and what looked like three bedrooms. The area was slightly smaller than the space in his trunk but it was still nice.

"We're off." Said the twins. "Going to find Lee. He's been here two days already."

"Fred, George wait." Mr. Weasley said, stopping the twins before they could escape. "Take Ginny with you. I don't want her wandering around alone."

Ginny looked a little offended at this, and the twins looked like this was going to be a great imposition on them. "Do we have to?" asked Fred.

"Yes." Was Mr. Weasley's simple reply. "Bill, Charlie, and Percy will be here in a few hours. I'm sure they can watch her when they get here."

Ginny huffed, "I don't need to be watched. I'm not a baby."

"I know you're not sweetheart. It's not that I don't trust you, it's that I don't trust the other people. It's so crowded that anything could happen and we wouldn't know." Said Mr. Weasley in an apologetic tone.

"Crossing her arms over her chest, Ginny said, "Fine. Fred, George, let's go." And she followed them out of the tent.

"The game starts at seven, be back by six so we can all leave together!" Mr. Weasley shouted out the tent. Turning to Ron, Hermione and Harry, he said. "You can all go exploring if you like, but stick together you three. I'll have an early lunch ready in a few hours. Go, have fun." Harry, Hermione, and Ron all left after that.

They were having a grand time, wandering all over. Harry found himself greeting a lot of people he knew and a few he shouldn't know. After the third person he greeted that he shouldn't have, Hermione confronted him. "Harry, how do you know those people? They don't go to school with us and most are adults."

Harry cringed inside but didn't let it show. He thought, ' _Damnit! I met them as Sam in Diagon Alley. Stupid, stupid! Think!'_ Aloud he said, "Umm… I met them… in Diagon Alley. Remember when I stayed there after I blew up my aunt last year?" This seemed to mollify Hermione but Harry knew he would have to watch himself more closely.

They all had a great time and before they knew it, it was six. Back at the tent, Harry found the twins, each with an Ireland team hat and a Shamrock pin that shouted the Ireland team players names. Bill, Charlie and Mr. Weasley each had an Ireland team scarf on. Ginny had all three, the hat, scarf, and pin. On their wanderings Ron had picked up an animated action figure of Victor Krum that walked around and scowled at everyone. Hermione had picked up a Bulgarian team scarf, but only because she liked the color and was cold. She also got a program. Harry spent his money on an Ireland pin like the twins and Ginny had. He also bought three Omnioculars for himself, Ron and Hermione. When they complained about the cost, mostly Hermione, he said it was an early Christmas present.

Everyone had a bite to eat and then they all started for the stadium. They traveled a short way through a small wood following a lighted path, and when they emerged they saw it. It was an amazing site, a fifteen story tall, gold and white stadium was before them. "Oohs." And "Aahs." Were heard all around.

"Tickets." A man in a gold uniform asked when they reached the stadium entrance.

"Here you go." Said Mr. Weasley, while handing over a stack of tickets.

"Top box. Nice. To the right and straight up the middle." Replied the ticket taker.

"How'd you get such great seats dad?" Bill asked. "I know you did Bagman a favor… but top box?"

"I'm not quite sure Bill. When I told him how many I needed, he seemed a little squeamish. But when I mentioned Harry and Hermione, everything was OK."

Harry thought " _Figures. Everyone wants a piece of The-Boy-Who-Lived."_ Harry also saw a look on Ron's face that he couldn't easily identify. Entering the top box, Harry saw the Minister for Magic, Cornelius Fudge. Around him were wizards, by whose colored robes, Harry assumed were from the Bulgarian Ministry. Fudge was talking loudly and slowly to one of the Bulgarians who apparently couldn't understand him. Fudge looked like a fool. There were other people that Harry didn't recognize around the box.

Deciding to avoid the scene that Fudge was making, Mr. Weasley led his group over to the seats where Harry spotted an elf sitting down. Aloud he said. "Dobby?"

The elf turned around and Harry saw right away that it wasn't Dobby. "No sir, I is not Dobby. I is Winky." The elf said.

"Oh, sorry." Said Harry. The conversation had gotten the Wesley's and Hermione's attention.

"Your Barty Crouch's elf aren't you?" said Mr. Weasley.

"Yes sir." Said Winky.

At Crouches name being said, the Minister noticed and joined the Weasley's group. "Crouch? Is he here yet? I need him to translate for the Bulgarians. No idea what they're saying. Oh Hello Harry." Fudge shook Harrys hand and ignored the Weasley's completely. "Looking forward to the match? I know I shouldn't pick favorites… but I hope Ireland wins. How about you Harry?"

Before Harry could answer, someone else entered the top box and Fudge was off. "That was rude." Said an indignant Hermione.

Percy replied. "Minister Fudge is a busy man. He is responsible for all this and his time is valuable."

"It was still rude." Huffed Hermione.

"Let's take our seats." Said Mr. Weasley, so they all sat down. The queer look on Ron's face was back, Harry noticed.

Harry pulled out his Omnioculars and started to look around the crowd. He played with the zoom feature, much better than the ones on his new glasses, and tried out the record and playback feature on a spectator who just spilled his drink on the person in front of him. He was enjoying himself until he heard an annoying voice.

"Hey Scarhead. What are you doing in the top box? And what are the Weasley's doing here? Did you sell your house for the tickets?" came the voice of Draco Malfoy.

"Now, now Draco," Drawled Lucius Malfoy. 'No need to be rude to these… people. But yes Arthur, how did you afford such prime seats?"

Turning around Harry saw Draco, Lucius, and who Harry could only assume was Draco's mother. She was dressed elegantly in a fine set of robes, but the expression on her face ruined the look. She had a haughty and pinched expression all over her face that practically screamed 'I'm better than you!' All the Weasley's sent angry looks to the Malfoys and Ron replied with a "Bugger off Draco."

Mr. Weasley just responded with a head nod and a, "Lucius." And sat down. Taking the seats behind the Weasley's, the Malfoys also sat down. Harry couldn't help but think, ' _Your sitting behind me, the Weasley's and Hermione aren't you Draco_.' There was a smirk on his face after that. ' _I wonder how's Dobby doing?'_ he also thought.

The game was excellent. It lasted for only a few hours but it was very exciting. Krum was the best seeker Harry had ever seen, of course he was the only professional seeker he had ever seen, and had caught the snitch even though Ireland ended up winning the match. The only concern he had, other than an annoying Draco sitting behind him, was when the Bulgarian mascots came out. They were Veela and the magic detection ring and the Legilamancy protection necklace warmed up slightly when they started to dance. This warning along with his Oclumancy practice, allowed him to sense and fight off the (almost) false attraction he felt toward them.

Back in the tent, everyone was celebrating an Ireland win. Even Ron was happy because Krum caught the snitch. Mr. Crouch never showed up and Winky was sitting there when they all left after the game. Outside there was a tremendous celebration going on, again Mr. Weasley said. "I sure am glad I'm not on duty tonight." They celebrated along with the crowd, but inside the tent until around midnight when Mr. Weasley sent Ginny and Hermione to the other tent. "Bedtime. Bill, you're in charge here. See to it they get to sleep. I'll be in the girls tent. Behave." He said looking right at the twins. Everyone was too tired to argue.

After what felt like a minute after falling asleep, Harry was violently shaken awake by Mr. Weasley. "Wake up Harry."

"Whaa.." was all Harry could get out.

"There's…trouble. We have to go." Mr. Weasley said than went over to Ron and woke him up. Harry could hear what he thought was the celebration still going on outside, then he heard the difference. Instead of happy cheers, there were terrified screams. Harry immediately got dressed and put on his glasses, and left the bedroom and joined the rest of the Weasley's and Hermione in the living room of the tent.

"What's going on dad?" asked Charlie. He was looking nervous. So was everyone else, including Mr. Weasley.

"I'm not sure yet. There are… people in masks burning tents. Bill, Charlie, Percy, your with me. Fred, George, take Ginny, Ron, Harry, and Hermione and get them to somewhere safe. Let's go."

Everyone piled out of the tent. The older Weasley's went toward the screaming and the rest the opposite direction. It was a madhouse. People were running in all directions hysterically. Right before they entered the woods Harry tripped. Ron and Hermione stopped to help him up but the twins and Ginny didn't notice so they kept going. The three were alone in the crowd so they headed for the forest hoping to find Fred, George and Ginny again. Five minutes later found them alone in a clearing; they decided to wait there for a while. Screams could still be heard far away in the distance, and then they heard a rustling of leaves. All of a sudden a voice shouted, "Mosmordre!" and a green light shot up to the sky from their right. The screams got louder and all of a sudden there was a 'Pop, pop, pop, poppimg' all around them. Harry instinctually ducked, Pulling Ron and Hermione down with him. A chorus of 'Stupify's' were heard and a volley of spell fire flew over their head, missing them by inches.

"Stop!" those are my kids!" shouted Mr. Weasley, and he rushed to Ron's side to check to see if he was OK.

A tall, thin man with a pencil moustache then grabbed Harry and with his wand pointing in Harrys face, practically screamed. "Which one of you conjured it? Tell me now!"

"There just kids Barty. They couldn't have done it." Said a witch Harry didn't recognize.

Harry asked, "Conjured what?

"The Dark Mark Harry." Hermione said pointing to the sky. Floating in the sky was a skull with a snake slithering out of the mouth. Harry gasped.

"And how do you know about the Dark Mark missy?" Barty said while turning his wand on Hermione.

"Calm down Barty. Do you know who you're talking to? That's Harry Potter and his muggleborn friend Hermione Granger. Do you think they would be followers of You-Know-Who?" said Mr. Weasley.

Mr. Crouch lowered his wand but his expression didn't change. "So who conjured it then?"

Ron spoke up then. "There was a rustling of leaves and a voice over there." He pointed to the group's right. Immediately four witches and wizards went to explore where Ron pointed. There was an excited shout and when they came back Mr. Diggory was carrying something small in his hands. It turned out to be a stunned Winky and Mr. Crouch's eyes got huge and he left to where they had found her. He came back a few minutes later to find Mr. Diggory questioning a revived Winky.

"I is not doing it! I is not knowing how!" cried out Winky.

"It wasn't her!" shouted Hermione. "The voice was deeper. Winky has a much higher voice." Nobody seemed to be paying attention to her.

"Amos." Mr. Crouch said when he rejoined the group. "I know this would fall under your department, but would you mind if I take care of this?" Mr. Diggory didn't seem like he wanted to do it but he just nodded at Mr. Crouch. Harry thought that Mr. Crouch must be pretty high up in the Ministry for Mr. Diggory to back down. Barty said, "Winky, for disobeying my orders and conjuring that vile piece of magic,"

Winky shouted, "I is not doing it! I is not knowing how!" Interrupting Mr. Crouch.

Mr. Crouch continued on as if not hearing Winky. "This Means Clothes!" and he handed Winky the tie from around his neck.

"Noooo!" cried Winky.

Harry and Hermione had a confused look on their faces. ' _Clothes?_ ' they each thought. Ron and all the adults had a mixture of surprise and resigned acceptance on their faces. "Well, we'll be off." Said Mr. Weasley, and he led Harry, Ron and Hermione away. They could still hear Winky crying as they walked off.

"Why did clothes make Winky cry?" Hermione asked Mr. Weasley as they walked back t the tent.

"When you give a house elf clothes, it breaks the bond between them and their master."

Master!? Do you mean to tell me that Winky…all house elves are slaves?" Practically shouted Hermione. She stopped dead in her tracks and was looking furious.

"Calm Down Hermione." Said Mr. Weasley, stopping and turning around to talk to her. "Yes it is a form of slavery, but…"

"But what?" Hermione snarled.

"But… The house elves would die without a bond."

"What? They'd die? So Winky will… Mr. Crouch just killed her!" Hermione shouted. This made Harry think about Dobby again.

"Not necessarily." Said Mr. Weasley calmly. "They won't die right away, and if the can bond with another person, family or place soon enough, they will be fine." It was a quiet walk back to the tent after that.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Ten Back to the Burrow and Hogwarts.

The Next morning after an early Portkey trip, the family arrived back to the Burrow to a frantic Mrs. Weasley. "There you are!" she shouted while grabbing Ginny and the twins in a bone crushing hug. Ron escaped this fate by hiding behind Mr. Weasley. "I was so worried. The wireless has been going on and on about the Dark Mark! It said that there were… Death Eaters! Arthur, what happened?"

"Were all fine, Molly dear. Everyone was safe." Mr. Weasley said while sending a concerned look at Harry, Hermione and Ron. "Let's go inside and I'll tell you everything."

Things returned to almost normal after that, Mr. Weasley and Percy had to spend a lot of time at the Ministry. Harry rarely saw them except at breakfast. Mrs. Weasley also spent most of her time hovering over the kids. This caused some problems for Harry as he had to sneak away if he wanted to be alone. Luckily the Time Turner allowed him to continue practicing.

The last Monday in August held a surprise. When Harry arrived at Gringotts, he was led to Barkaxes office instead of to Swiftdeath. "Have a seat Mr. Potter." Said Barkaxe, pointing to an empty seat in front of his desk.

"Is there a problem?" Asked Harry. "Is Swiftdeath OK?"

"There is no problem Mr. Potter, and Swiftdeath is fine." Replied Barkaxe. "As you know, there are only a few more days until you leave for Hogwarts and your training will stop until next summer."

"Yeah. So I will continue to train next year? I know there is so much I don't know." Said Harry.

"Yes. Swiftdeath has agreed to continue your training next summer, you should feel honored. He has decided to bring in a human cursebreaker in for the rest of this month to show you how to do the job with a wand."

"I thought we were keeping my training a secret?" said a shocked Harry.

"We are Mr. Potter. That is why we want you to wear the glamour necklace while training. Our cursebreakers are under many secrecy vows, but why take a chance." Said Barkaxe.

"Oh, OK." said Harry. "Anything else?"

"Yes. A few things actually." Replied Barkaxe. "Using the Horcrux that we removed from you scar is proving quite difficult. We are sure that soon we will be able to use it to find the remaining Horcrux's, but for now very little progress has been made."

Harry was quiet for a minute at this statement. "I see. Thank you for continuing to try."

"Do not worry Mr. Potter. Gringotts will succeed. Now to the disposition of the remains of the Basilisk."

"I won't know anything until I get to Hogwarts." Interrupted Harry.

"I am aware of this Mr. Potter." Snapped Barkaxe. Harry felt a little stupid. Barkaxe continued. "I am more concerned with accessing it while you are at school. The solution I have come up with is either for you to render it yourself," Harry shuddered at the thought. "Or for you to send it to us to render using a specially made Goblin Portkey."

"I think it would be best if you guys… Goblins, sorry, do it." Said Harry

"That would be better, but there is a downside.' Said Barkaxe.

"What, the fee? I was expecting that." Commented Harry.

"Yes there will be a fee for the Portkey and the rendering. 2 galleons for the Portkey and fifteen percent of the sale for the rendering and first pick of the parts for sale. We can deduct the cost of the Portkey from the sale. No, the downside is that the Portkey activation will set off alarms at Hogwarts. We can set a time delay on the Portkey so you can have an alibi, but it will probably cause chaos."

Harry thought, ' _A little chaos could be fun._ ' Aloud he said. "OK. I'll do the Portkey. The Chamber of Secrets might not be tied to the Hogwarts wards though. No headmaster has been able to find it and they are all tied to the Hogwarts wards."

"It won't matter either way." Said Barkaxe. "Now we need to know how big the Basilisk is so we can adjust the Portkey to take it all."

"It was over sixty feet long and at least five feet wide." Harry shuddered at the memory. "Is it possible to get clothes made from the Basilisks hide?"

"Again, impressive Mr. Potter. And yes, it is possible to have all manner of clothes made from the hide."

After having gotten used to goblins, Harry asked "How much to have three… no four cloaks made? And a purse made?" Harry thought _, 'A cloak for me, ron, Hermione and Sirius, and a purse for Ginny because she suffered because of it. Is the purse a good idea? Will it be too traumatic for her? I can always give it to someone else._ '

After thinking for a minute Barkaxe replied, "We can have our craftsgoblins make four cloaks for 10 galleons each because you are providing the hide yourself. The purse will cost two galleons. Three if you want security and an expanding charm placed on the inside. There will be Acrumantula Silk lining for all.

Harry Thought, ' _That's a lot of galleons. Oh well. It's all money I didn't know I had before and the sale will make me even richer_.' "OK Barkaxe, I'll take it all, but make it five cloaks. That is if the Basilisk is there. Also I'll want a few of the parts for potion ingredients."

Barkaxe wrote a note to himself on a piece of parchment. "Right the fee will be taken out of the sale if that is OK with you?" Harry nodded. "Now which vault would you like the proceeds deposited in Mr Potter?"

Harry decided on, "My Sam Underhill vault please."

"Of course Mr. Potter. Now one last thing before you are escorted to Swiftdeath. This package was left for you by a Han Solo's account manager, Snarltoe." Harry took the package wondering what it was, and Barkaxe continued. "Now this meeting has lasted almost an hour, so you will have to turn back time seven hours today. Please put on the glamour necklace and follow me. We will have the Portkey ready for you before you have to leave for Hogwarts." Harry put away the package to open later, and followed Barkaxe out of the office.

Deciding on a blond hair, blue eyed persona with a slightly higher voice, the one he used in Borgin & Burks, Harry met the man who Swiftdeath had chosen to teach him cursebreaking with a wand. The man's name was Joshua Platt, "Call me Josh." He was in his late fifty's with black hair with a little grey starting to show on the sides. He had a kind face except for a scar running down his left cheek. He extended his hand to shake Harry's. Hello…?"

Harry shook his hand. "Evan. Evan James. Nice to meet you."

Swiftdeath interrupted, "Yes, Yes. Joshua, I need you to give… Evan here the basics on wand based cursebreaking. I have been teaching him the basics and he doesn't have much time. I will supervise. Speaking of, Evan, use the Time Turner now."

If this was confusing for Joshua, it didn't show on his face. Harry figured that working for Gringotts meant that you were exposed to a lot of strange things and circumstances. Putting the chain around all three necks, Harry activated the Time Turner.

Arriving back at the Burrow after training, Harry went immediately into his trunk to open the package from Sirius. He had to hurry or Mrs. Weasley would come looking for him. Deciding to leave the Time Turner alone and just be quick, he opened the package and found a silver hand mirror and a note. "Say my name." was all the note said. Harry said aloud, "Sirius." And nothing happened. He tried again even louder, "Sirius!" again nothing happened. Next he tried "Sirius Black." Still nothing. "Han Solo." Nothing. "Padfoot?" The mirror flashed and Sirius's face appeared.

"Hey Progslet!" the mirror Sirius said.

Harry was shocked but responded, "How? What?"

Sirius laughed, "These are communication mirrors that me and your dad used while we were at Hogwarts. I thought with you heading back there, we could use these to talk. Much easier than going through Gringotts, and much more secure than owls. What do you think?"

Harry was smiling, "Brilliant! How do they work?"

"Well I'm not completely sure of the theory, but they are enchanted to form a connection between two or more objects. Remus probably understands how it works. Any way, you just set a password on the mirror, and when you say it, it connects to the mirror with the password you just said. Mine's Padfoot, obviously. Yours is set to Prongslet. Remus is set to Mooney. If your mirror starts to vibrate, just hold it and push some magic into it, like you are doing a spell and the mirror is your wand."

"I know how to push my magic." said Harry.

Sirius continued, "Good, good. To end the connection, all you have to push magic into it again."

"Wow." Harry exclaimed. "Do you have any more of these?"

"No. Why?" Sirius asked.

"I wanted to give one to Ron and Hermione. You know how much trouble we get in, and these could be handy."

Sirius laughed, "You're not kidding. Sorry, I don't have more, but I'm sure we can find the notes we used to make them and send them to you. Remus should still have them."

"That would be great. Sorry Sirius, but I have to go. After the World cup Mrs. Weasley is watching everyone like a hawk. I don't want to be caught. I'll talk to you tomorrow morning at seven. I should be able to be free for an hour.

Sirius had a sad look on his face when he responded, "OK pup. I understand. See you tomorrow." And his face disappeared.

Harry felt bad for Sirius, but reasoned that he would talk to him tomorrow, and if he could manage it, every day from now on. Leaving the trunk, Harry found Sssloker, Sssslisssser and Ssssliter in the little hut that he made for them. "Good morning Sssloker, Sssslisssser and Ssssliter."

A few grumbled, "Good morning'sss." later found all three snakes emerging from the hut.

Harry hissed. "It isss almossst time to head to Hogwartsss. You will have to be in the trunk for a day, but when I let you out you will have your very own chamber to explore.

The snakes didn't like the idea of having to be in the trunk again, but the idea of having their own chamber in a castle was very appealing. "We will be ready." Said Sssslisssser.

"How isss the hunting going?" Harry asked them.

Ssssliter replied. "The hunting isss very good here. Lot'sss of mice and other furry creaturesss."

Harry didn't really want to think about that, so he bid them farewell and returned to the Burrow for breakfast. He was right, Mrs. Weasley was looking for him.

September first rolled around and the Burrow was a mad house. Harry and Hermione were the only ones that had everything packed and ready to go. The twins, Ginny and Ron all had some last minute packing to do. Ron was the worst. It seemed like his stuff was everywhere but his trunk. Mrs. Weasley's yelling could be heard throughout the entire house. Harry thought that their neighbors could probably hear it too. Harry turned to Mr. Weasley who was sitting don drinking tea, he was able to take the morning off of work. "Mr. Weasley, how are we getting to the train?"

Setting the cup down, Mr. Weasley answered, "We are going to floo to the Leaky Cauldron and take a couple of taxis to Kings Cross Station."

"Why not just floo to the station directly?" Hermione asked, getting involved in the conversation.

"There isn't one on Platform 9 & 3/4." Replied Mr. Weasley.

"That's stupid." Said Hermione.

Harry had to agree, but it did explain how he ran into the Weasley's while he was looking for the platform his first year. ' _But that doesn't explain why Mrs. Weasley was talking so loud about muggles in the middle of the station_.'

Mr. Weasley explained, "There used to be one many years ago. It was shut down when You-Know-Who was last in power. It hasn't been reopened since. I don't know why. Anyway, eat up. It's a long journey."

It took six taxis but they arrived before the train left, if just barely. Ron was complaining about forgetting his favorite pair of socks and Mrs. Weasley was reassuring him that she would send them to him. They were lucky and found an empty compartment near the back of the train. After waving goodbye to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, the twins and Ginny left to find their friends, Leaving Ron, Hermione and Harry alone. Hermione grabbed a book and started reading, and Harry and Ron played Exploding Snap.

As per usual, they were paid a visit by their favorite Slytherin. Not. He was, as always bookended by Crabbe and Goyle, "Oi, Scarhead. Are you going to enter this year? Or are you to scared?" Draco taunted.

"What are you on about?" asked a confused Ron. He looked at Harry and Hermione but they didn't seem to know either. "What! Don't tell me you don't know?" exclaimed Draco with a superior attitude. "Surely Weasley, your dad should have told you what's happening this year at Hogwarts? I guess he wasn't important enough to know." Draco, Crabbe and Goyle laughed at this.

Ron's ears were turning redder by the minute. Harry thought, ' _That must be what Mr. Weasley, Percy, and even Bill were hinting at all summer. I wish I paid attention, if just so I could shut Malfoy up._ ' Deciding to do something before Ron exploded, Harry said, "I'm not scared Malfoy, are you? Your Daddy can't buy it for you." this made Ron snicker and Draco scowl.

"Watch it Scarhead. You, your blood traitor friend and the mudblood better watch yourselves…"

Harry and Ron drew their wand at those words and Harry spat, "Shut up and leave now Malfoy or you'll be sorry!"

Looking down Harry's wand, Draco had a nervous look cross his face before it was immediately replaced with a cruel sneer. "When my father hears…"

Harry cut him off. "Your father isn't here right now is he? Leave now!" Harry practically yelled.

Draco was an idiot, but he knew that he couldn't do anything without getting hexed, so he turned around and left. Before he was gone he said over his shoulder, "This isn't over Potter."

"Git." Said Ron, after the door to the compartment closed.

Hermione said, "Harry, you really shouldn't fight with Malfoy."

This annoyed Harry. "Hermione. He came in here to start trouble. There is no way that I am going to back down from that little ponce."

Ron contributed, "Besides it's only Malfoy. What's he gonna do?"

Hermione snapped, "You're going to get in trouble if you fight."

Harry replied, "We get in trouble no matter what we do. I'm not going to back down from Malfoy." Turning to Ron he asked, "Any idea what he was talking about entering?"

"I don't know. Dad and Percy never said. I thought you might now when you asked Malfoy if he was too scared to enter himself." Said Ron.

"No. I just didn't want to give Draco the satisfaction." Said Harry. The rest of the train ride was peaceful. Before they knew it, they had arrived.

Hogwarts was just as beautiful as Harry remembered it. He couldn't wait to start the new year, so much to do. For the first time in his life at Hogwarts, Harry was actually looking forward to classes.  
He had written a note to McGonagall asking for a change from Divination to Ancient Runes. She wrote back and said that if he passes a test the first day of school, she will let him transfer. It seemed to Harry that McGonagall wasn't a big fan of divination.  
The Great Hall was bustling with activity when Harry found a seat at the Gryffindor table. 10 minutes later the first years entered for their sorting. Harry realized that this is first sorting, other than his own, that he was going to witness. Second year was the flying car and last year he had to be checked out because of the Dementor's.

25 minutes later the last name was called, and Ron had been complaining the entire time, Dumbledore stood up and made an announcement.  
"To all new students welcome, and to all returning students, welcome back. I have some very important announcements to make but I'm sure you're more interested in food. Tuck in." Dumbledore raised his arm and in a sweeping motion and food appeared on the tables.

Ron immediately went for the chicken legs and started piling his plate with food. After dessert disappeared, Dumbledore stood and again and addressed the students. "Welcome back to another fine year at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. This year is going to be extra special. First I would like to introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Alastor Moody."

A scared and gray-haired man stood up at the teachers table. A chunk of his nose was missing and he had an electric blue eye that spun around in his head independently from his normal one. ' _This is a scary looking fellow.'_ Harry thought.  
"Professor Moody is a retired Auror and I'm sure you will all learn a lot from him this year." continued Dumbledore The clapping was very sporadic and Moody sat back down, taking a sip from a flask he had on his hip.  
"That's Mad Eye Moody!" said Ron. "Dad talks about him a lot. He said he's the best Auror there ever was."  
"What's an Auror?" asked Hermione.  
"A dark wizard catcher." answered Ron.  
"He doesn't look all that successful with all those scars." said Hermione. Harry had to agree.

"Most of the cells are Azkaban full because of him, according to dad." Said Ron.

They turned their attention back to Dumbledore. "..need to talk, and unfortunately this year there will be no Quidditch cup." This was met with boo's from practically every one of the students. Ignoring the interruption, Dumbledore continued. "This is because we will be hosting a very special event this year, which will take up most of the teachers' time. The Tri Wizard Tournament will be coming to Hogwarts!"  
At this announcement an loud chattering enveloped the room, people were talking excitedly to each other. Dumbledore let this continue for a minute and then continued. "Also participating in this tournament are the Durmstrang Institute and the Beauxbatons Academy of Magic. They will arrive on October 30th and the tournament selection will occur on the 31st, Halloween. Eternal Glory and a prize of 1000 galleons await the winner of the Tri Wizard Tournament. But be warned, the challenges are daunting and not for the faint of heart." The noise level in the room increased at this announcement. "There have been some changes to the tournament to increase the safety for all participants, so it has been decided that no one under the age of 17 will be allowed to participate."  
This was met with jeers, boo's and a few shouts of "No fair!" The last from the twins.  
"Settle down, settle down." said Dumbledore. "It's been decided because of the dangers faced in the tournament at no underage witch a wizard should be allowed to compete. Now I know some of you are disappointed but it is for the best. Now off to bed. There's a lot of learning ahead of you and you want to have an early start on the day."  
Everyone stood up and started heading toward to the doors of the Great Hall deep in conversation about the tournament. Ron said, "Too bad about the age limit. It would've been wicked to enter. Don't you think so Harry?"

Hermione said, "Don't be stupid Ron. The tournament sounds dangerous. I don't think anyone under 17 would be any good in it."

Ron just scoffed at Hermione. "We've had loads of adventures, probably harder than the ones in the tournament. We could do it easy. Right Harry?"

Harry replied, "I just want a quiet year for once Ron. I have no interest in the tournament, other than to watch it."

Ron said, "Come on mate, a thousand galleons prize money wouldn't hurt?"

"I don't need it." said Harry, who looked over and saw an unscrupulous look on Ron's face that he didn't like at that statement.

Hermione said, "Well it doesn't matter anyway, you're both only 14 so you can't enter." They were quiet after that continuing on their way to Gryffindor tower. In the common room they went up to their own rooms to sleep. Harry had a busy day ahead of him tomorrow.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Eleven New Discoveries

Harry woke at 5:30 AM the next morning, his new regular time. He had an appointment with McGonagall at seven to take a test to see if he can get transferred to runes, so he used the time remaining to check out the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets in Moaning Myrtles bathroom on the third floor. When he got there, thankfully Myrtle was nowhere to be found so he went to the sink that was the entrance and activated the special features on his glasses. He found that someone, probably Dumbledore, had added an intruder alert ward to the entrance. It was a simple ward and it took only 10 minutes for Harry to bypass it. It was 6 o'clock by then and Harry had to be in the McGonagall office in an hour, so he slid down the tunnel and made his way to the chamber.  
The entrance chamber before the main Chamber of Secrets was just as he remembered. There were small animal bones scattered everywhere and up ahead was the cave-in that Lockhart caused in Harrys second year. Having prepared for this, Harry cast a set of spells that he learned in the magical construction book and created a reinforced archway  
Satisfied with his work, Harry continued on to the main chamber and opened it up with parseltongue. Inside he did indeed find the Bassilisk, and was surprised to find that there was no decomposition. ' _Even after a full year it's still intact. Must be very magical. Cool.'_ he thought, glad that he didn't have to deal with the smell of rotting corpse. Harry brought out his trunk and entered it to find the snakes anxiously waiting for him.  
"Finally!" said Sssloker.  
"Yeah yeah. I know. You were bored and you misssssed me." Harry said mockingly  
This caused the snakes to grumble. Harry didn't know that snakes grumbled this much. "Are we at the cassstle Yet?" asked Sssslisssser.  
"Yup, you're here. We're in the Chamber of Sssecretssss. I don't have a lot of time right now becaussse I have to meet a professssor in about 45 minutesss ssso I will let you out to explore. I will have to leave you in the chamber for now, and if you can sssearch it for me and sssee if you can find anything magical, there will be a big juicy moussse in it for each of you."  
All three of the snakes followed Harry out of the trunk and into the chamber. They were shocked to see the dead Basilisk and Harry to reassure them.  
"Don't worry about that. I will have it removed in a day or two. It will caussse you no problemsss."  
All three snakes followed Harry to the chamber door, which had closed after he entered and then they asked, "How do you open the door?"

To the surprise of Harry and the three snakes, the door swung open. After getting over the shock Harry thought to himself. ' _It must open whenever anyone says open in parseltongue. That must be how the Basilisk was able to feed itself. It would explain this snake skin and all the animal bones outside. There must be an entrance to the outside world somewhere, I will have to search for it later.'_  
Harry said to the snakes. "I guessss you can come and go asss you pleassse. There mussst be an entrance sssomewhere in here to the outssside world. Why don't you look for it while you explore the ressst of the chamber and let me know what you find?"  
The snake seemed to like the freedom that this allowed them, glad they weren't stuck in the chamber and we're happy to explore, so Harry left them to it. When Harry reached the mouth of the pipe that he slid down to access the chamber, he had a thought. ' _I bet there's no way that Slytherin would slide down the pipe every time he wanted to access his chamber, and how did he get back up? Let me try something_.' He said out loud, "Ssstairsss!" and to his surprise stairs appeared running up the pipe. Harry thought, " _Why didn't I think of this before? Of course the slide down was fun_." Climbing the stairs Harry reached the top with 15 minutes to spare before his appointment. Scourgafying his robes from the grime that had accumulated sliding down the pipe, and cleaning his hands in one of the working stinks, Harry he left for his test.  
Finding his way to McGonagall office was no problem and test was easy for him. It turned out that most of the first year of runes was devoted to memorizing the different rune alphabets and their meaning. Swiftdeaths training and his self-study had Harry passing the test easily. They wouldn't start carving runes until the end of this year's class and not seriously get into it until next year during the O.W.L.'s. Harry was just glad that he got into the class and could avoid Trelawneys predictions of his death every time.  
Harry went to the Great Hall for breakfast after that and joined Ron and Hermione at the table. As per usual, Ron had a huge pile of food on his plate and was shoveling into his mouth at an alarming rate.  
When he sat down Hermione asked him. "Where were you this morning Harry? Ron said you were already gone when he came down to the common room."  
"I had an appointment with McGonagall this morning to take a test on runes to see if I could be transferred to the class." Harry answered.  
"Really?" said Hermione excitedly. "How did it go?"  
"Great. I passed and will be able to join you in runes this year. This also means that I can drop divination!"  
"What!" Ron exclaimed with food flying out of his mouth. He swallowed and then continued. "But mate, you can't drop divination! What am I going to do without you there? Why didn't you tell me were going to do this?"  
"Sorry Ron. I forgot to mention it, and besides I'm tired of Trelawney always predicting my death. Can you honestly say that you learned anything last year in divination?"  
Ron replied, "No, not really. But it's an easy grade and the class will be boring without you."  
"Sorry Ron, but I need to start taking my studies a little more seriously. You know with," Harry lowered his voice. "Voldemort still out there." Even with the lower voice Ron and Hermione flinched at the name. Harry could understand Ron because he grew up in the magical world, but he was always surprised when Hermione shuddered at the name. Continuing on he said, "You still have Neville in the class so I'm sure you will be fine."  
"Fine, whatever." Ron said and he seemed to pout. Harry just shrugged it off and started eating again.

Hermione said, "I'm glad you're taking your studies more seriously this year Harry, and it will be fun having you in runes with me. I learned so much last year." Harry just nodded to her and continued to eat breakfast until McGonagall came around and handed out the class schedules. He was happy to see that he no longer had Divination and now had Ancient Runes.

The first class of the term was Herbology followed by Care of Magical Creatures, Ron was excited. "Looks like we'll spend the entire morning outside." He then moaned, "Double Divination this afternoon."

Harry thought, ' _Lucky I avoided that_.' Out loud he said, "I have runes this afternoon with Hermione. Good luck with Trelawney."

Ron was looking despondent, "Let's go." They made their way to the greenhouses. After Herbology they went to Care of Magical Creatures with Hagrid.

When they got there, Hagrid was waiting outside with several wooden crates. Harry liked Hagrid as a person but he wasn't sure about his ability as a teacher. Hagrid knew his creatures alright, but what was dangerous to any normal person, Hagrid thought it was cute and misunderstood. Fluffy was a prime example of this. The other problem with the class was that it was with the Slytherins.

When the class started Hagrid introduced the 'Blast Ended Skrewts'. They were slimy, grey, lobster looking creatures that shot out sparks. They were disgusting.

Class ended and they bid farewell to Ron who sulked his way to divination. Malfoy as usual was a prat in class. Harry was bored during Ancient Runes. The class was slow paced and they were covering things that he had already learned. ' _Oh well. It is always good to review_.' He thought.

There were a few hours left until dinner and Ron was still in divination. Hermione headed to the library so Harry decided to do some more exploring of the chamber. As usual the bathroom was empty of students but this time Myrtle was in. "Hello Mrytle." Said Harry.

"Who's there? Oh it's you Harry. What are you doing here?" said Myrtle.

"I needed to check something in the chamber… and I wanted to say hi to you too." Harry added when Myrtle started to cry.

Like a switch was thrown, Myrtles whole demeanor changed. Smiling she said, "Really? I'm so glad. I missed you last year. Why didn't you visit?"

"Sorry. Last year was crazy, with the Dementors and all." Replied Harry. He wanted to end this conversation and get down to the chamber but knew that he would have to keep Myrtle happy or it would become difficult to get past her. "Tell you what, I promise to visit you more often this year." Myrtles smile brightened. "But I need to check on something in the chamber and I don't have much time."

Myrtles smile faltered and she said, "Oh, OK. You promise to visit again?"

"Yes Myrtle, I promise." At this Harry went to the entrance sink and was able to bypass Dumbledore's wards in under two minutes this time. Sliding down to the bottom, he called out. "Sssloker, Sssslisssser, Ssssliter! Where are you?" Over a minute passed before they all arrived. Harry asked, "Did you find anything interesssting yet?"

"Oh yesss, there are lot'sss of interesssting thingsss here." Replied Sssloker.

"What have you found?" said Harry.

"Where'sss our moussse?" countered Sssloker,

Harry huffed. "Fine." Going into his trunk, he returned and gave all three snakes a mouse that he had in stasis. "What did you find?"

Harry waited until the pythons swallowed their mice before Sssslisssser answered. "There isss an entrance to a foressst that hasss sssuffered a cave in. There isss ssstill room for usss to leave but it might be too sssmall for you to passss. At the end of the passssage there issss a door that openssss when we asssked it to."

Harry thought, ' _Must be another parseltongue password protected door._ '

Sssslisssser continued on, " We have alssso found three hidden roomsss in the main chamber. We have more to explore ssstill. We did find a way into the cassstle."

"Isss it thisss pipe?" Harry said pointing to the pipe behind him that he slid down.

"No. Another way." Said Sssslisssser.

This got Harry excited, "Ssshow me!" Harry followed the snakes to a different pipe that was closer to the main entrance. This was a smaller pipe than the other entrance. He called out, "Ssstairsss!"

Harry was about to climb up them when Ssssliter called him. "Wait!"

Turning around, Harry asked. "What?"

Can you get rid of all the bonesss pleassse? And leave another warming ssstone?"

Harry spent 20 minutes vanishing most of the animal bones that were scattered around the ground. Another 15 minutes to carve a new warming rune stone and then left to explore the new entrance. He would explore the cave-in to the forest later, having to say stairs again, Harry climbed up and ended in an empty, dust covered office. ' _This must have been Slytherins office_.' He thought looking around. There was a dust covered wooden desk and chair. Crumbling empty bookshelves lined the walls, and an empty portrait behind the desk. Harry saw that where he emerged from was behind a portrait of the Black Lake that had swung open.

Immediately Harry took out and checked the Marauders Map. "I solemnly swear I am up to no good." Harry looked but couldn't find his dot on the map. 'I guess the Marauders never found this room.' Putting away the map and deciding to be careful, he pulled out his invisibility cloak, went to the only door in the room and opened it.

He emerged from behind another Portrait, this one of an ancient, empty potion lab. He was in the dungeons, enemy territory, and he was glad he put on the invisibility cloak. He made his way up to the entrance hall before he removed the cloak, luckily he ran into no one. It was only a few minutes until dinner started, so Harry waited for Ron and Hermione to come down.

About five minutes later, Ron and Hermione came down the stairs and Joined Harry. Unfortunately, Draco and his shadows also emerged from the dungeons at the same time. "Hey Weasley!. Looks like your dads in the paper!" Draco called out, drawing a crowd. "Arnold Weasley, of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office has…"

Harry drew his wand and cast, "Incendio!" setting the paper in Dracos hand on fire. "What was that Draco?" He mockingly asked. Draco had stumbled back into Crabbe, he was speechless and looked terrified. What? Nothing else to say?" taunted Harry.

Hermione quietly yelled at Harry. "What do you think you're doing? You're going to be in so much trouble!" Ron just had a smirk on his face.

Harry turned to her and said. "I told you Hermione. I won't put up with his shit anymore."

"Language Harry!" Hermione immediately responded.

Draco regained his composure and said. "When my father hears about this!"

"Yeah, Yeah." Harry just waved him off and turned to go into the Great Hall for dinner and froze when he say Mad Eye Moody standing there. Draco smirked thinking that Harry would be in trouble.

Moody just nodded to Harry and walked off. Harry was stunned. So was everyone in the entrance hall. Regaining his composure, Harry entered the Great Hall, soon followed by Ron and Hermione

Draco was glaring and Ron had a smile on his face all through dinner. Hermione kept sending him angry looks when she wasn't sending confused looks toward the teachers table, she just couldn't understand why nothing happened. She was thinking, ' _I don't want Harry to be in trouble, but why didn't the teachers do anything_?'

Harry was just thinking, ' _Moody's not too bad_.'

After dinner and for the rest of the night Hermione didn't speak to Harry. Ron on the other hand wouldn't shut up about it. After the second game of chess with Ron, Harry excused himself, saying that he had to send a letter.

Ron asked, "You don't have anyone to send a letter too. Who are you writing?"

Harry couldn't believe how inappropriate Ron question just was. Under his breath he answered Ron. "I promised I would send a note to Snuffles for your information Ron." He turned around and left for the owlry.

The note he had to send wasn't for Snuffles, he had the mirrors for that, He needed to send a note to Barkaxe concerning the Basilisk. All the note said was, 'It is here. Will send on the third at 8:30 am.' The Portkey that he was provided had a 30 minute delay on it when activated. Harry decided to check out Slytherins office so he made his way to the dungeons under his invisibility cloak.

Harry ran into a problem. There were too many Slytherins hanging around the dungeons for Harry to pass unnoticed. He figured that he should explore around the area a little more, maybe he could find another way to the office. Harry found something else interesting though, the kitchens.

It took Harry about ten minutes to figure out how to open the passage that was behind a picture of a bowl of fruit. To open it all he had to do was tickle the pear. Another surprise awaited him when he entered.

"Harry Potter!" Shouted an excited elf. There was a small missile that wrapped around Harry's legs.

"Dobby! What are you doing here?" replied a shocked Harry.

"I is working at Hogwarts now Harry Potter." Said Dobby, letting go of Harry's legs. "Dobby is happy that the great Harry Potter visits him! What can I's be getting youse? Pumpkin Juice? A sandwich, does Harry Potter want a sandwich?"

"No, no, I don't need anything Dobby" said a bemused Harry. "How long have you been here? I was worried about you." before he could finish what he was saying, a tray of sandwiches and a glass of pumpkin juice was floated in front of him. The elves, epically Dobby had an anticipatory look on their faces so Harry took a sandwich to avoid offending them.

With a smile, Dobby answered. "The Great Harry Potter was worried about Dobby! Harry Potter is the bestest, most kind wizard ever! I is coming to Hogwarts over a week ago. I is having trouble finding work, and when I's find Winky also needing a job, I's think of the only place needing two more house elves. Hogwarts."

"Winky is here too?" Harry asked, looking around.

The smile left Dobby's face, and the other elves turned away looking ashamed. "Yes Harry Potter. Winky's is here. She's not doin' too good."

"What's wrong with her?" Inquired Harry.

"She is missing her family she is." Replied Dobby. "She's not getting over being givin' clothes, She be drinkin' butterbeer." All the elves shuddered at the mention of butterbeer.

"Sorry she's not feeling well." Said Harry. "Let me know if there is anything I can do?" Inside Harry thought, ' _Butterbeer? How bad could it be?_ ' "OK Dobby, I have to go. It's getting late. I will come and visit you later."  
"Thank you, thank you Harry Potter! Dobby is lookin' forward to seein' youse again."

On his way back to Gryffindor tower Harry thought. ' _I'm glad that Dobby is OK. Too bad about Winky. At least she found a new bond so she won't die. It's good to know where the kitchen is. I wonder what I can do with this information?_ ' Harry made it back with no problems and went straight to bed.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Twelve Hogwarts Life

The next morning found Harry back in the Chamber of Secrets. Now that he knew where Salazar Slytherins office entrance was in the dungeons, he was able to use the Marauders Map to chart a clear path there. Looking around the office for a little while, he determined that there wasn't anything of interest. Sliding down the pipe was a fun ride. At the bottom Harry called out to Sssloker, Sssslisssser and Ssssliter. "Where are you?" From different directions, the snakes found their way to Harry. "How are you all doing? Find anything elssse interesssting?"

Sssloker answered for all the snakes. "We are doing fine, and yesss we found sssome interesssting thingsss."

Glad that the snakes were fine, Harry asked. "Good. What did you find?"

"We found two more hidden roomsss." Hissed Ssssliter.

"Ssso that bringsss the total to five hidden roomsss? Ssshow me." Harry followed the snakes to the first room. Isss thisss it?" Harry asked when he stopped in front of a statue of a Cobra with its hood extended.

"Yesss. All the roomsss are behind sssimilar ssstatuesss." Said Ssssliter.

Saying, "Open." In parseltongue, Harry entered to find an ancient and run down potion lab. He thought, _'It's like the painting in front of Slytherins office in the dungeon_.' There was broken, dust covered furniture, empty broken bookshelves, empty and broken vials, and rusty cauldrons all over the room. _'I guess it didn't survive the thousand or so years since Slytherin was here.'_

Finding nothing of value, Harry left and followed the snakes to the next hidden room. This one turned out to be an office. It was in the same state of disrepair as the lab. Next was a bedroom/bathroom in a similar state. There was also a hidden ancient kitchen behind another statue. All there was in there was a fire pit with a stand with a cauldron hanging off it, broken dishes, and a sink with a tap. The fifth room was the same one that the Basilisk emerged from in Harrys second year. It was behind a statue of Salazar Slytherin that looked like a monkey. Deciding to not explore that particular room right now he turned to the snakes. "Anything elssse interesssting?"

"Yesss. We alssso found a room with a heated pool." Said Ssssliter.

"Really?" Replied Harry. "Ssshow me." Following the snakes out the main chamber, there was a tunnel that went the opposite way from the entrance from Myrtles bathroom. At the end of the tunnel Harry found a cave with what appeared to be a natural hot spring. There was what looked like a 50 by 20 foot pool of water and the air was humid. "Wow!" was all Harry could say. Dipping his hand in the water, Harry found that it was very warm. ' _Like a hot bath_.' He thought.

Looking at his watch, he saw that he still had 45 minutes until he had to activate the Portkey, so Harry decided to check out the cave-in to the forest. "Can you ssshow me the way to the foressst?" he asked Sssslisssser.

Harry followed down another tunnel until he came to the cave-in. ' _Not too bad_.' He thought _. 'I better start preparing the Basilisk though. I'll come back later to fix this._ '

The Portkey that the goblins provided him was a ball of red twine. He was told to wrap the twine around one end of the Basilisk, then run the twine along the body of the snake and tie it on the other end. When he was done, he said the activation phrase. "Worth its weight in gold." He had 30 minutes to establish an alibi so he left to go to the Great Hall. Before leaving he told the snakes to stay away from the Basilisk to be on the safe side, and that it will be gone in a little bit.

Sitting in the Great Hall, Harry kept anxiously looking toward the teachers table. When the time of the activation passed and there was no response, he was surprised but pleased. ' _Did it work? Not even a flinch from Dumbledore. I'm going to have to check out the wards around the school soon._ ' He thought. Continuing to eat, he planned out what he had to do the rest of the day. Deciding that the best thing to do was to let the day pass normally then turn back time and explore the chamber more closely.

Deciding on turning back four hours, Harry started to examine the chamber and found a few interesting things. The wards around the chamber were indeed separate from the Hogwarts wards. He found anti apparition, but no anti Portkey wards all over the chamber. There was an animal boundary ward that could be deactivated over both pipe entrances to the chamber from the castle. ' _This explains why the Basislisk couldn't get into Hogwarts on its own. This also explains why it was so hungry with the cave-in blocking its only way to get food._ ' He thought. He also found that when the door to the main chamber was closed, it had a similar effect like his trunk. No magic was able to be detected from outside when the door was shut.

Next he reinforced the walls of the passage to the forest and vanished the cave-in. The exit opened with a simple "Open." In parseltongue behind a copse of trees in a part of the forest that he didn't recognize. ' _I guess Voldemort didn't want the Basilisk to be able to feed itself so he didn't clear the path. What a bastard_.' Harry put his own set of rune stones with a Notice-Me-Not inscribed around the outside of the entrance for added security. He also placed a deactivated tracking rune stone that would send a signal to a matching stone that he could use to find his way back when he explored the forest later on. It was time to leave for the day, his younger self would arrive in the chamber in ten minutes.

The next day Harry received an owl from Barkaxe during breakfast. The note said, 'Impressive specimen Mr Potter. Estimated value is 4 million galleons and estimated render time is one month. It has been determined to sell primarily overseas to avoid saturating the market. Funds will be available to you when rendering is complete. Cloaks and purse will be ready in two months. Please provide a list of parts you require for your own use. Barkaxe.'

' _Wow_!' Harry thought. ' _4 million galleons! I'm rich, again. I'm going to have to go thru the potion books and see what parts I might need_.'

Harry's train of thought was interrupted when Hermione asked. "What's that Harry?"

"A letter." He responded simply.

Ron smirked, a little food escaping from the corner of his mouth. Hermione huffed, and said. "I know it's a letter! Who's it from?"

Not wanting to explain about the Basilisk, Harry lied. "It's just an account statement from Gringotts."

"Really? You haven't gotten one before." Said Hermione.

' _She can't let anything go, can she_?' Harry thought. Aloud he said. "I don't know. I just started to receive them over the summer. This is only the second one I have received."

"Oh, OK." replied Hermione. "What does it say?"

"None of your business." Said Harry coldly. Hermione seemed to understand the inappropriateness of her question and looked sorry. Looking over Harry again saw that strange look on Rons face that he couldn't quite identify, but didn't like.

Over the weekend Harry explored the wards around Hogwarts and what he found shocked him. They were surprisingly weak. He could understand that with Hogwarts being a semi public place that they couldn't be too strong, but these were pathetic. There were two types of wards, boundary wards that kept anything from passing it and an area effect ward that affected anything inside the boundary area. The area effect wards were only an anti Apparition and anti Portkey ward. There was also a deactivated fire suppression ward. The boundary wards were only a Werewolf , Vampire, Troll, and an Acromantula ward. ' _I wonder if the troll ward was there in first year.'_ He thought. There was also a ward that identifies and sends a signal when crossed by anyone. ' _I'll have to check the secret passages next to see if Dumbledore can tell whenever anyone comes and goes. This means he knew when Sirius came to Hogwarts last year! And when Quirrell was going into the forest to hunt the Unicorns! He KNEW!_ ' Harry was getting angrier by the minute. ' _That bastard does nothing but play games with my life!_ ' It took over an hour before Harry calmed down enough to return to the castle.

Over the next several weeks Harry had established a new routine. He would get up at 5:30, go down to the chamber and turn back time to practice spells or fix up the chambers secret rooms. He would go to classes then go back to chamber after dinner and turn back time again to take a nap and continue to train.

Harry waited two weeks before he started to sell his silencing rune stones, to increase demand. He approached the twins one day after deciding to have them sell the stones since they had contacts all over the school and could sell to the other houses. Plus he didn't want to bother doing it himself. He showed the twins the stones he created and told them how to push magic into them until they glowed and how they would last for six hours. He said that he wanted 90% of whatever they charged and would leave the price up to the them. The twins countered with 50% since they were the ones who had to go and sell them. They ended up agreeing on Harry getting 70%  
Harry had sold one to each of his dorm mates for 10 sickles each except for Ron who he never told about the stones because he knew that it would only offend him.

Harry explained that the stones created a 4 foot bubble, 2 feet in each direction from the stone, of silence that no sound could enter but could still escape, so it wasn't a true privacy ward. Also anything that was in the bubble could be heard so people could still talk to each other or set an alarm and as long as it was inside the area of silence it would work.

An interesting use of the stones that Harry found out about later was that people used them while studying to avoid distractions, mostly the Ravenclaws. This did lead to some exciting reactions when people tried to talk to them and got no response or when they got tapped on the shoulder and jumped about 2 feet in the air because they didn't realize someone was near them. They were very popular with the fifth and seventh year students.

Harry had also created two more of the communication mirrors from the plans that Sirius sent him. He planned to give them to Ron and Hermione for Christmas. Speaking of Ron and Hermione, Harry was starting to become annoyed with them. Hermione wasn't too bad, she was always pestering Harry about his homework, which wasn't too unusual. But she was starting to ask too many questions about why Harry seemed to disappear so much. Ron on the other hand was just plain irritating. He always complained about Harry not spending time with him because he was studying, saying "Your turning into Hermione mate. You don't need to waste your time. Let's play a game of chess."

He also kept complaining that Harry had dropped Divination, even weeks after he had transferred. His attitude toward Hermione wasn't much better. He was constantly putting her down whenever she tried to get him to do anything like homework or even straightening his tie or chewing with his mouth shut. Hermione could be annoying but Rons responses were way out of proportion. Harry was trying to avoid Ron as much as possible, which made the problem worse. Ron just couldn't understand that Harry wanted to improve himself, while he just wanted to coast along.

During this time, Harry had discovered that Dobby could be very useful. He had made it a point to visit him and Myrtle several times. He visited Myrtle because he wanted to keep the option of the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets from her bathroom open. Dobby on the other hand was able to help him refill the pantry in his trunk. He was also able to have Dobby buy him some butterbeer from Hogsmeade Village. Harry had discovered that the boundary and alert wards did indeed exist in the hidden passage ways out of the castle. Dobby was more than happy to run errands for 'The Great Harry Potter!' in the outside world.

Sssloker, Sssslisssser and Ssssliter were spending most of their time lazing around the heated pool or exploring the forest. They had learned to avoid the Centaurs and the Acromantulas, both had tried to kill them on sight. Ssssliter was badly hurt by an Acromantula and now had a scar along her back. She refused to go too far from the entrance after that. Harry spent a little time exploring the area directly around the entrance, not venturing too far. The entrance was beyond the Hogwarts wards and provided Harry a way to leave the castle without tripping any alarms. 'I _'ll have to see how far from Hogsmeade I am during the next Hogsmeade weekend_.' He thought.

Harry had let the snakes explore the castle late at night several times. He would let them out of the chamber at night to explore and let them back in in the morning. Harry was a little concerned about Moody's magical eye spotting the snakes but according to the Marauders Map he spent all his spare time in his office. He was also visited by Barty Crouch so often that Harry thought they might be in a relationship. The snakes had discovered ten more hidden rooms in the castle that were not on the Marauders Map. Most were deserted classrooms that were behind secret entrances. Nothing of value was found in them except some old textbooks. The surprise was two rooms, one a hidden dueling room behind a picture of wizards in medieval armor fighting Goblins on the fifth floor. It took Harry ten minutes to figure out how to open it. It turned out that you have to poke the wizard that was on a hill overlooking the battle. Inside the room the walls were covered with a variety of medieval weaponry. There were swords, maces, spears, pikes, longbows crossbows, and other weapons Harry didn't recognize everywhere. Surprisingly, no suits of armor. There were broken dummies made of straw and crumbling targets scattered around and the room floor, which had to be at least 100ft long and 40ft wide, was covered in sand. Harry thought. ' _This room is so cool!' Must have an expansion charm. Too bad nobody teaches this stuff anymore_.' Harry did take a sword similar to the Sword of Gryffindor that was still in excellent condition. 'N _ever know when it might come in handy_.'

The second room was on the seventh floor by a tapestry of a wizard teaching trolls the ballet. No matter what he tried he couldn't figure out how to open this room. Night after night for a week he would sneak out and try to open it. One night after failing again, a frustrated Harry made his way to the kitchens for a late night snack and to visit Dobby.

Seeing the forlorn look on Harry face, Dobby asked. "What be bothering youse, Harry Potter?"

"Nothing Dobby." Replied Harry. "It's just that there is a hidden room on the seventh floor that I can't seem to find a way to get into."

"Do youse mean the Come and Go room?" asked a curious Dobby,

"The what?" said a surprised Harry.

"The Come and Go room, also known as the Room of Requirement. It's be a room on the seventh floor that be hidden, only appearing when someone has real needs of it." Answered Dobby, excited to be able to help his hero.

Harry was shocked. "Do you know how to get into the room?"

"Oh yes Harry Potter sir, Dobby knows. Do youse want Dobby to show youse?"

Getting up, an excited Harry asked. "Can you show me now Dobby?"

"Oh yes Harry Potter sir, Dobby wills show youse. I's meet youse there" Dobby said and then disappeared with a pop.

Harry threw on his invisibility cloak and made his way to the seventh floor to find an excited Dobby bouncing up and down waiting for him. "I'm here Dobby." Harry said removing his cloak.

"Harry Potter sir, youse made it. Dobby will show youse now ho to opens the room." Walking back and forth in front of the blank piece of wall that the hidden room was behind, a door suddenly appeared. "Youse need to walk in front of dis wall three times thinkin' what youse wants room to be."

Harry opened the door and let out an amazed gasp. He was looking into a room full of what appeared to be a thousand years of stored junk. There were piles and piles of objects in a room that seemed to go on forever.

Dobby said. "This bes the room of lost things. The house elves bes using it to store lost and broken things dey be finding all over the castle."

' _It would take a life time to search this whole room!_ ' Thought Harry. "Is the only thing the room does? Didn't you say it becomes whatever you need?" asked Harry.

"Oh no, Harry Potter sir. The room can becomes anything youse want it to be" said Dobby.

Harry closed the door and watched it disappear. Walking in front of the wall three times, Harry thought. ' _I need a room to train in. I need a room to train in. I need a room to train in_.' A door appeared on the third pass and when Harry opened it he found an exact copy of the Chamber of Secrets. ' _I must have been thinking of the chamber because it is where I have been training_.' Walking into the room followed by Dobby, he started to look around. The room was an exact copy of the chamber, even the secret rooms.

Dobby asked. "What be's this room?"

"This is an exact copy of the Chamber of Secrets. So this room becomes anything I want it to?"

"Yes Harry Potter sir. Dobby thinks so."

Harry left the room and tried to change it again. This time he created an exact copy of the inside of his trunks third compartment. Even the books he had bought were on the shelves, but there was no food in the kitchen. "Do you know why the room made everything but the food Dobby?"

'The rooms magic can make anything but's food Harry Potter sir. Buts anything made here can't be's taken out unless it be's already in the rooms." Answered Dobby.

' _This room is great_!' thought Harry. ' _It's getting late but I want to try one more thing._ ' Stepping outside again, Harry took three more turns and the new door led to an exact copy of the cave with the heated pool that was in the chamber. Feeling the water he found it was the same temperature. "Thank you so much for showing me how to get in here Dobby. Let me know if I can do anything for you."

Dobby said with a gleeful smile on his face. "The Great Harry Potter thanks Dobby. Your welcome Harry Potter. Dobby will always help Harry Potter if Dobby cans. Harry Potter has already done so much for Dobby."

The hero worship was a bit much, but Harry couldn't help but like this excitable elf. "I'll see you later Dobby, and again, thank you." Harry left to an empty classroom near Gryffindor tower he had set up with the rune set that prevented magic from being detected, he wasn't sure if Dumbledore could detect the activation of the Time Turner and wanted to take no chances. He would turn back time to make it back to the dormitory before curfew.

Another thing the snakes reported to Harry that they found on their nightly wandering was a strange blond haired girl. They found her all over the hallways at night and she would wave to them when she passed even though they were invisible at the time. Harry checked the Marauders Map one night and found that her name was Luna Lovegood. ' _I wonder what she's doing out at night? They said that she sometimes falls asleep in an empty classroom. I wonder what's that about?_ ' He decided to avoid her if he could.

Time flew by, and before he knew it, it was October 30th. Harry and Ron's friendship was quite strained by this point. Ron started spending more time with Seamus and Dean because Harry was either studying or couldn't be found. Whenever he did hang out with Harry, he would make snide comments about Harry being a bookworm, or a bad friend under his breath. But Harry heard them. It was becoming annoying for Harry to hang out with him. Hermione was a little better. She spent a lot of time with Harry in the library studying. She could tell that his and Ron's friendship was having problems so she usually avoided them when they were together. Ron didn't seem to notice this. She was still a bit bossy, but Harry knew it was just the way she was.

The last class let out early so the students could gather outside to wait for the other schools to arrive. The weather was quite cold and Harry saw most of the other students shivering, including Ron. He was glad that he put a warming charm on himself and was wondering if he should offer to put one on Ron. ' _Nah! He's old enough to take care of himself_.' After waiting for thirty or so minutes there was an excited yell. Look! Something's flying over the Forbidden Forest!"


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter Thirteen The Tri Wizard Tournament

The thing flying over the Forbidden Forest turned out to be a flying carriage belonging to Beauxbatons. Everyone gasped when the biggest woman Harry had ever seen stepped out of the carriage after it had landed. Well she was the tallest woman he had ever seen, Marge Dursley was still the biggest. She was followed into the castle by a group of girls and boys in blue silk school uniforms. They all seemed to be freezing and Harry had to laugh internally at the awed expressions on their faces at seeing the castle.

Durmstrang arrived about ten minutes later. Their mode of travel turned out to be ancient ship that appeared out of a whirlpool in the Black Lake. The Durmstrang student all wore heavy cloaks and were led by a silver haired man who had what looked like a permanent sneer on his face. The surprise came when Harry heard Ron shout like a fan girl. "It's Krum! Look, look Harry! That's Viktor Krum the seeker!"

It was indeed Viktor Krum. ' _I didn't know he was still in school. Rons practically wetting himself. Get a grip_.' Harry thought. After the Durmstrang students entered the castle, McGonagall called for everyone to go to the Great Hall to begin the welcoming feast.

Beauxbatons sat at the Ravenclaw table and Durmstrang sat with the Slytherins. Ron, and quite a few others, had a disappointed look on their faces at this last one. "Look at Malfoy trying to cozy up to Krum" Harry saw Malfoy was trying to talk to Krum but Krum was ignoring him. Ron continued. "Git! Krums too good for him."

Hermione asked. "Did you know that Krum was still in school?"

"I knew that he was the youngest seeker in professional Quidditch, but I didn't know he was still in school." Ron answered, not taking his eyes off of Krum. "I bet he will be a champion." Harry had to agree.

At that moment Dumbledore stood up. Harry noticed that there four extra seats at the teachers table. Two were taken by the Headmaster and Headmistress of the other schools. Harry learned that their names were Maxime and Karkaroff. The other two seats were filled by Barty Crouch and Ludo Bagman. Harry noticed that Hagrid couldn't take his eye off of Maxime and that Crouch, Moody and Snape kept sending filthy glances at Karkaroff. Moody also sent the same types of looks at Crouch. Harry wondered what that was about. ' _They spend so much time together. I wonder if they had a fight?_ ' Harry thought to himself.

The Headmaster had started to speak. "…to welcome the beautiful boys and girls of Beauxbatons Academy of Magic!" The whole hall applauded politely. "And the proud sons and daughters of the Durmstrang Institute!" The applause was a little louder for Durmstrang, probably because of Krum. "We welcome their Headmaster and Headmistress, Madame Maxine and Igor Karkaroff." The applause died down quickly. "We are also honored to have two distinguished gentlemen from the Ministry of Magic joining us tonight. Allow me to introduce Barty Crouch from the Department of Magical Cooperation." There was polite applause. "And Ludo Bagman from Magical Games and Sports!" The applause was more frantic for Bagman. "We are honored by their presence for… THE TRI WIZARD TOURNAMENT!" Dumbledore shouted at the end. The applause was deafening at that proclamation

Harry couldn't help but get excited along with everyone else in the Great Hall. ' _I wonder who the Hogwarts champion will be? Hope it's a Gryffindor._ ' He thought. Ron and Hermione had excited expressions on their faces too.

"I have some very important announcements about the tournament to still make… but they can wait. Tuck in!" Dumbledore swept his arm across the hall and food appeared on the tables.

There was a greater variety of food then Harry had ever seen before. ' _Must be from the other countries. The house elves outdid themselves. It sure looks good_.' Harry decided to try a little of everything, Hermione seemed to do the same. Rons plate was already piled high with food, but none of the new dishes were on it. Harry was surprised that there was any food that Ron would turn down. ' _No sense of adventure_.' Harry thought.

Harry spent the feast enjoying the food and avoiding looking at Ron and his atrocious eating habits. After the deserts had disappeared, Dumbledore stood back up. "Now that we have all been fed and watered… The Goblet of Fire!" at this Filch entered the hall carrying a bejeweled wooden chest and set it down in front of Dumbledore. Dumbledore tapped his wand on the chest which seemed to melt away to nothing, and in its place was a wooden cup the size of a standard cauldron on a pedestal. The surprising thing about this cup was that it was filled with blue flames. There were Ooh's and Aahs heard all over the hall at its appearance.

Dumbledore continued. "The Goblet of Fire will select the three champions. Just write your name and school on a piece of parchment and put it in the Goblet. Be sure before you enter. The Goblet of Fire creates a binding magical contract, so if you're chosen you are required to compete." The hall broke out in conversation at this. "Because of safety concerns, it has been decided by the Ministry that only of age wizards and witches will be allowed to compete this year. For this reason I will draw an age line around the goblet which will be placed in the entrance hall for easy access. Eternal glory and 1000 galleons prize money will belong to the champion. The Tri Wizard Tournament begins… NOW!"

Tremendous applause and excited chatter enveloped the hall. The twins were in a furious discussion with Lee Jordan. Harry knew they would try something and it would be entertaining. He didn't think they would succeed though. Ron was talking to Seamus and Dean. It looked like he was also plotting a way for himself to enter the tournament. Harry ignored all the noise around him and watched Beauxbatons and Durmstrang leave the hall following Maxime and Karkaroff. Hermione asked. "I wonder where they are going to sleep?"

Ron joined the conversation at this. "We should ask Krum if he wants to bunk with us. I would give up my bed for him if he stayed with us."

Harry thought. ' _You would probably join him in your bed with the way you fawn over him._ '

Hermione said. "Don't be stupid Ron. They must have made arrangements before arriving. I just wondered what they are."

Ron snapped. "I know that! I just meant that it would be cool if Krum could join us."

Hermione just huffed and walked off to Gryffindor tower. Harry was sure that Ron never thought about the other schools sleeping arrangements and he really did hope that Krum would be sleeping with him. Ron and Harry started to also head to Gryffindor tower and Ron asked. "So Harry, you gonna try and enter? Seamus and Dean are going to try and throw their names into the goblet from behind the age line. Do you think it will work?"

"I don't know Ron, and I don't really care. And no, I'm not going to try and enter. Good luck to you though." Replied Harry.

"Come on mate." Ron answered back. "It would be so cool to be in the tournament."

"Maybe to you it would be cool, but I just want an easy year for once." Harry said. They were quiet the rest of the way to the tower before thy split up. Ron went to Seamus and Dean while Harry went to bed. He was going to take the night and next day off of his extra training. " _Too much activity with the cup and the other schools to make sneaking around easy or safe_."

Harry slept in the next morning before he joined what looked like most of the school in the entrance hall to watch people enter the tournament, and a few people fail. It turned out that tossing your name from behind the age line didn't work. The parchment burst into flame as it crossed the line. The most spectacular example of a fail that Harry witnessed was when the Weasley twins brewed an aging potion and crossed the line. They were thrown back and when they stood up they each had long white beards similar to Dumbledores'. Hermione commented. "I told you it wouldn't work." In her normal, smug tone of voice.

Durmstrang entered the hall at that moment and formed a line to enter their names. Harry asked Hermione." Has Beauxbatons entered yet?"

"They were here earlier." She answered. Harry and Hermione spent most of the day hanging around the entrance hall cheering any Hogwarts student that entered their name, especially the Gryffindors. Ron was also hanging around but spent more time with Seamus and Dean.

Another feast was held that night, this one with more of the standard Halloween decorations. There were floating Jack-O-Lanterns above all the tables and a swarm of bats zoomed around the ceiling of the Great Hall. Most people weren't paying attention to the decoration, too excited about the tournament. The meal seemed to pass slower than usual for most and when the deserts vanished nobody could sit still.

When Dumbledore stood, all of the hall quieted down. "Another excellent feast is done and it is now almost time for the champions to be selected. I estimate the Goblet needs another two minutes. If your name is selected, please come forth and enter the chamber behind the teachers table to my right. The champions will get their instructions when everyone is assembled. My thanks to Beauxbatons and Durmstrang for joining us in making this tournament a reality. I believe it is now... Time!" After his last word the Goblet of Fire changed colors. Instead of a bright blue flame, there was an even brighter orange and red flame that seemed to grow out of the cup. All of a sudden. sparks erupted and a smoking piece of parchment floated down to Dumbledore's hand. Snatching it out of the air, he read. "The champion for the Durmstrang Institute will be… Viktor Krum!" tremendous applause followed.  
Clapping maniacally and saying "I knew it, I knew it, told you didn't I!" Ron said while slapping Harry on the back.  
Sparks flew out of the goblet again and another piece of parchment was released. Grabbing it Dumbledore read, "The champion from Beauxbatons Academy of Magic is… Fleur Delacour." A very pretty blonde girl got up from the Ravenclaw table and started to head toward Dumbledore. There was polite clapping for her selection, but nowhere near as loud as for Krum. It seemed like some of her fellow students were upset with her selection. She had an indifferent look on her face as she entered the chamber behind the teachers table.  
There was a nervous hush over the hall now. The Hogwarts champion would be next and the rest of the students were looking around trying to guess who would be chosen. There were quite a few pale faces in the upper years, Harry thought. ' _Must be having second thoughts about being chosen_.'

Sparks once again flew from the goblet and Dumbledore announced the champion for Hogwarts was, "Cedric Diggory!". The hall broke out in riotous applause, no more so than in the Hufflepuff table. Harry was a little disappointed in the champion not being a Gryffindor but at least Cedric was a fellow seeker. Watching Cedric enter the chamber, Harry let out a relived sigh. ' _At least that's over and I won't be involved in anything this year. Thank Merlin!_ '

He had spoken too soon. As soon as he had finished thinking that thought, the goblet once again shot out sparks and another piece of parchment was ejected. Again Dumbledore snatched the parchment and looked at it with a surprised expression on his face, and all of a sudden said. "Harry Potter." Everyone was surprised when the fourth parchment left the goblet, now all eyes turned to Harry who was frozen in shock. All he could think was. " _What the fuck_!"  
Again Dumbledore called "Harry Potter" a little louder. This time Hermione gave Harry a little push towards the front of the hall, like everyone else she had a shocked look on her face. Harry wasn't able to say anything; he got up slowly and walked toward Dumbledore who pointed him to the chamber.

Walking into the chamber he saw Cedric, Fleur and Krum all sitting around the fireplace that was merrily crackling away. They all looked like Champions to Harry, even Fleur who he didn't know but had a confident expression on her face that led one to believe she could face anything she experienced. He walked in with a confused expression on the face and Fleur asked. "Do they want us back in the hall? I thought we were supposed to wait for instructions here."  
Harry couldn't respond verbally so he just shook his head. All of a sudden there was a large commotion coming from behind him and Dumbledore followed by Maxine, Karkaroff, McGonagall, Snape, Bagman and Crouch entered the room. Dumbledore immediately went to Harry and grabbing his shoulder, pushed him into the wall and asked in his commanding voice. "Did you enter your name in the goblet Harry?"  
Harry was too shocked to properly answer right away, and then he felt his magic detection ring and Legilamancy protection necklace heat up and felt a pressure on his Oclumancy shields. Dumbledore was trying to read his mind. At this Harry got angry and kneed Dumbledore in his special tender place. Dumbledore slumped the ground and everyone was frozen in shock at this reaction. The first to recover was Snape who yelled. "Detention Potter and 1000 points deduction for assaulting the headmaster unprovoked!"  
Harry just yelled, "No!"  
Snape yelled back, "You insufferable brat! What do you mean no? We all saw you so assault the headmaster. Don't think that your fame will get you out of this! If it wasn't for your cheating your way into the tournament, I would see you expelled and I will see you in detention for the rest of the year for your actions!"  
McGonagall had gone to check on Dumbledore who was still on the ground moaning. Harry said, "No! I didn't enter this stupid tournament and I won't be serving any detention with you!"  
Snape shot back. "Your arrogance knows no bounds, does it Potter?"  
"Shut up you greasy git!" Harry yelled back "This bastard," he said pointing at Dumbledore, "Tried to read my mind! Just like you do in potions class all the time!"  
This shut up Snape. McGonagall had to say. "That is a serious accusation Mr. Potter and even if it is true your actions were extreme."  
Harry was shocked but not too surprised at McGonagall reaction and answered her back. "The headmaster came in here and assaulted me both physically and mentally. I think my reaction was quite understandable in the situation."  
By this time Dumbledore had stood up with the help of McGonagall and said "Well I do not agree with your reaction but I must apologize to you Harry. I did in fact try to read your thoughts to confirm my suspicions that you did not enter yourself in this tournament, again I apologize"  
Crouch spoke up at this point. "Be that as it may Dumbledore, using legilimancy see on a minor is a serious crime. I will have to report you to the Ministry."  
Dumbledore responded. "That won't be necessary Barty, for I am Mr. Potters magical guardian and I'm authorized to use whatever means necessary to protect my ward, and finding out the truth of his involvement in the tournament falls under that." There was a mad twinkle in his eye again.

"You're my what!? That gives you the right to rape my mind? Are you kidding me?" screamed a shocked Harry Potter. He already knew that Dumbledore was his guardian but this was the first time that Dumbledore had admitted it to him.  
Dumbledore turned back to Harry and said. "I am your magical guardian dear boy. It is my responsibility to ensure your magical safety and education. I don't make it a habit to pry into anothers thoughts but.."

"If it's your responsibility for my magical safety then get me out of this damn tournament. I didn't enter and I don't want to be in it. Besides Hogwarts already has a champion." Harry said, cutting off Dumbledores excuse and nodding his head towards Cedric. Everyone still had shocked silence expressions.  
Dumbledore said, "I'm afraid that is not possible. The Goblet of Fire is a binding magical contract. Even if you didn't enter it yourself, your name did come out of it and you are obliged to compete or risk losing your magic.

"You can't be serious!" sputtered Harry.  
I'm afraid so dear boy. Barty back me up on this." Replied Dumbledore.  
"I'm afraid Dumbledore is completely correct Mr. Potter. The Goblet of Fire does signify a binding magical contract and your name, however unorthodox did come out of it. You're required to complete the three tasks of the tournament or lose your magic." Crouch said in an exasperated tone.

Harry thought, 'W _hy does this always happen to me?_ '  
At that moment Moody entered the chamber and said. "It looks like someone Confunded the goblet into thinking there was a fourth champion. Looks like you're stuck Potter. Be careful, many champions have died in this tournament. This might be the reason you were entered."  
Harry said "Great, just what I need! Another fucking year and people are trying to kill me."  
McGonagall said, "Language Potter that will be 10 points from Gryffindor."  
"Like I give a shit!" replied Harry, and practically everybody let out a shocked gasp. Moody just had a smile on his face and Dumbledore looked disappointed.  
Maxime said "What is going on Dumbledore? It is not fair, you having two champions."

Karkaroff agreed with her. "Yes, if it was up to me I would leave right now!" he said.

"But it's not up to you is it?" said Moody.

Bagman interrupted at this point. "Yes well, notwithstanding the strange circumstances. It looks like we have four champions. The first task of the tournament will be on the 24 of November. You will be showing your courage by facing the unknown. So we won't tell you anything more about the task. Good luck." He winked at Harry.

Fleur turned to Maxime and asked. "Are they going to let this little boy compete with us? It is going to make the tournament a joke!"

Before Maxime could answer her, Harry said. "Oh shut it you stuck up princess! This little boy has done more than you could possibly dream of!"

Fleur gave an affronted snort at this and turned away from Harry. Maxime led her out of the chamber and back to the carriages. Before she left the room, Maxime said over shoulder. "We will be a lodging a formal complaint with your Ministry over this travesty Dumbledore."  
Krum joined Karkaroff in leaving the room. Crouch and Bagman excused themselves, saying they had to get back to the Ministry and Moody left saying he would examine the goblet more closely to see if he could determine who might've put Harrys name in it. Dumbledore asked Snape and McGonagall to his office to discuss how this is going to affect the tournament and the school. Before they left the room Harry said. "I want a copy of the tournament rules Dumbledore!" who turned around and nodded to Harry and then left. Cedric and Harry were now alone in the room.  
"You really didn't do your name into it, did you Harry?" asked Cedric.  
"What made you figure that out? My yelling that I didn't do it, or me kneeing Dumbledore in the balls?" Harry said back sarcastically.

"Yeah, I can't believe you did that. Are you going to really skip detention with Snape?" asked Cedric  
"Yeah, there's no way I'm going to be alone with that greasy git." Harry said back.

Harry and Cedric walked out to the entrance hall. "It appears that everyone has gone back to their common rooms. I'll see you later." said Cedric.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter Fourteen Consequences

Instead of going back to his common room right away Harry made his way to the Chamber of Secrets. Entering the main chamber, he grabbed the time turner and set it back its full 24 hours. He was glad that he decided not to turn back time earlier that day. Getting out the Marauders Map, Harry sat down and watched the entrance hall and the Goblet of Fire to see who approached it overnight. This was the only time that someone could've put his name into the Goblet of Fire because he and most of the rest of the school had watched it during the day.  
Harry knew that with the Time Turner he couldn't change anything in the past that had already affected him personally, and his name coming out of the goblet meant that he couldn't prevent it from happening, since it already had. Time travel gave him a headache sometimes. He spent most of the night watching the map as people approached the goblet. He wrote all of their names down on a piece of parchment over the whole night. What truly surprised him was when he's spotted Barty Crouch approach the goblet, then leave and join Moody in his room. He thought, ' _If that bastard had anything to do with putting my name in the Goblet of Fire, I'll cut his balls off. If so that means that Moody is probably involved too. Dammit! I'm gonna have to keep a watch on Moody, and that magicaI eye is not going to make it easy._ '  
When morning finally approached, Harry fell asleep figuring that there would be witnesses from this point on. When he awoke he remembered why he was in the chamber and set up and destroyed several training dummies over the next few hours to get out his anger.  
He wrote to Barkaxe, asking him if the Goblins could find a way for him to get out of the tournament. He knew that the goblins were especially knowledgeable when it came to contracts. Next he mirror called Sirius and told him everything that happened in the room after his name came out of the goblet. Sirius of course was shocked, angry, scared and a little proud of Harry for how he handled himself. He reassured Harry that he believed him and he would be there for him to help him through any challenges that lay ahead. He also asked when the next Hogsmeade weekend was, and when Harry asked why, he said. "I want to see you face-to-face. There is a cave up in the hills that I will lead you to. Meet me on the outskirts of the village at 11 and I will be in my animagus form."

Harry didn't want Sirius to risk himself, but he did want to see him. He needed an adult he could trust and it felt like Sirius and maybe Remus were the only ones he had. The Hogsmeade weekend was going to be in two weeks and they agreed to meet up then. It was now only a few minutes before Harrys younger self would come down to the chamber to turn back time, so Harry headed to one of the secret rooms until he was sure his younger self had gone back in time. It was time to face his fellow Gryffindors, and Harry wasn't looking forward to it.

Harry was right, when he got to Gryffindor tower there was a party going on. People yelled "Our new champion!" or "Gryffindors champion!" when he entered the room. Try as he might, Harry couldn't get anyone to believe that he did not enter his name in the tournament and that he didn't want to participate. People kept congratulating him and patting him on the back. Lee Jordan had hung a Gryffindor flag over his back as a cape and Dean Thomas had made a sign saying 'Harry Potter Hogwarts champion.' He was able to escape the crowd after about 30 minutes and made his way up to his dorm room. He did not spot Ron or Hermione in the crowd and hoped that Ron was waiting in their dorm room so he could talk to him about what happened.

When Harry entered the dorm room and saw Ron lying on his bed. He approached but before he could say anything, Ron asked. "So, how did you do it?"

"What?" Harry responded, confused.

"How do you enter your name in the tournament?" said Ron.

"I didn't." said a surprised Harry.

"Yeah right." said Ron. "Sure you didn't. Not that I'm angry or anything, but why didn't you tell me you were entering? We could've done it together."

Harry could tell that Ron was angry, even though we couldn't figure out why, and said. "I told you Ron, I didn't. Like I said before I didn't want to have anything to do with this tournament."

"Don't lie to me Harry." said Ron. "What did you use your invisibility cloak to get past line? Did it never occur to you that I might've wanted to enter also? You're just being selfish!"

Harry was getting angry at this point. "I'm being selfish? You stupid prick! I told you I didn't enter but it doesn't seem like you believe me!"

"Why should I believe you? You lie to me all the time!" shouted Ron.

"What are you talking about?" Harry had a confused expression at that.

"You're always disappearing and not telling me where you're going! And you're always with Hermione in the library without me!" Ron spat.

Harry realized he was in a way lying by not telling Ron where he was going, but really it was none of his business. He replied. "Like I told you before Ron, I need to improve myself and I found a place to train. I've asked you before if you want to help me improve and to improve yourself but you always said no."

Ron sputtered for a second and said. "Whatever! You're still a liar!"

Harry was furious at this point. "I did not enter the stupid tournament! if you can't believe it, then I guess you won't believe anything I say from now on! Do the world a favor and go jump in a lake and don't talk to me again!"

Ron left the dormitory at that statement, his face and ears as red as his hair. He knocked into Harry as he pushed past him, Harry heard him say under his breath. "Fucking prat." As he left.

A few minutes later Neville entered the dorm and saw Harry sitting on the edge of his bed with his eyes closed, breathing slowly trying to calm down. "What's up with Ron?" Neville asked.

"Stupid git wouldn't believe me when I said I didn't enter the tournament. Called me a liar." replied Harry.

"Yeah, well, you know how he is. I believe you Harry. I know you didn't want anything to do with this stuff." said Neville.

"Thanks, Nev. I'm glad you believe me. Seems like you might be the only one." Said a despondent Harry.

"I'm sure other people believe you didn't enter. Their just glad that there's a Gryffindor champion, even if they don't really think you entered it on your own." replied Neville.

"I'm going to go to bed now Nev. Good night." Harry said and he closed the curtains around his four poster bed and activated his silence stone. He knew that tomorrow was going to be a tough day. He seemed to have Gryffindor support but knew that the school would probably turn against him just like in second year. Slytherin would do it on principle and Hufflepuff would probably do it because he took the spotlight off their champion. He didn't really know what Ravenclaw would do but did not have high hopes

The next morning he was proven correct. On his way down to breakfast he was getting stares and heard mutterings from a variety of students as he passed them in the hall. When he entered the Great Hall all eyes turned to him and the noise level dropped significantly. He made his way to the table and sat down next to Neville. So far Neville was the only one who admitted that he believed Harry didn't enter his name in the tournament so he felt OK sitting with him. He hasn't heard anything from Hermione yet and was dreading what her reaction might be. Would she be like Ron and not believe him or would she believe him but go with the rest of the school, or would she start to boss him around? No matter what, he knew the last was probably a guarantee. He would have to sit her down and explain a few things to her, hopefully she would understand and they would still be friends. It seems like his friendship with Ron was over. Surprisingly this didn't upset him too much. ' _Must've grown apart. I've heard that happens sometimes_.' He did feel sad at losing his first friend but had a greater sense of relief at not having to deal with his attitude any longer.

All of a sudden there was voice from the Slytherin table that Harry immediately recognized as belonging to Draco Malfoy. "Hey Scarhead, who did you pay to get yourself into the tournament?"

' _You're just upset your Daddy didn't buy it for you_.' Harry thought. He looked to the teachers table and saw that, as usual, they did nothing.

He tried his best to ignore him but Draco kept talking. "Goyle and I have a bet Potty! Goyle bet that you wouldn't last through the first ten minutes of the first task. I bet you wouldn't last five." there was snickering coming from the Slytherin table at this, and quite a bit from the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw table too.

"Just ignore him Harry." said Neville. Most of Gryffindor was giving the Slytherin table dirty looks

Draco continued. "I'm sure you'll be joining mommy and daddy soon, eh Potter."

This was more than Harry he could take and he stood up on the bench and fired a banisher over every one's head that hit Draco square in the chest. All his practice had greatly improved his accuracy. Draco flipped over the Slytherin table, crashing into Crabbe and Goyle who we're on the other side. There were outraged cries coming from the Slytherin table and people all over the hall either drew wands or started to hide under their house tables. Snape yelled. "Detention Potter, and five hundred points from Gryffindor!" Malfoy was still on the floor, he hadn't gotten up yet and it looked like he probably wouldn't on his own. Hurry just looked to the head table, and Snape in particular, and gave him the 2 finger salute and just walked out of the Great Hall.

He was still hungry so we went to the kitchen to finish breakfast. He barely made it to class on time and sat in the back of Transfiguration. McGonagall didn't ask him any questions that day, but she did send annoyed glances at him all during class. He sat in the back of all his classes that day and most of the teachers left him alone, except for Flitwick who acted as if nothing out of the ordinary was going on and treated him normally. Harry was thankful for this attitude. Hermione seemed to be avoiding him in all the classes but kept sending concerned looks in his direction.  
He decided to skip dinner in the Great Hall, so he went to the Chamber of Secrets and had dinner in his trunks third compartment. He mirror called Sirius and they discussed the events of the past two days. Sirius commiserated with Harry about the loss of friendship with Ron and told him that Hermione would come around. Sirius still owed Hermione for helping to rescue him from the Dementors the previous year. Harry hoped he was right; he didn't want to lose any more friends and knew he needed support if he was going to make it through the tournament. Sirius couldn't be there for him in person because he was still a wanted man and on the run.

Harry told him he saw Crouch's name on the Marauders Map that night and how Crouch spent most of his time in Moody's office .Sirius told him how Crouch was the person most responsible for sending him to prison without a trial, and that Crouch was responsible for sending his own son to prison, even if you did give him the benefit of a farce of a trial. He said he was surprised that Moody and Crouch spent so much time together as he didn't think they got along too well back when he was an Auror. Sirius told Harry to be careful that if Crouch and Moody were responsible for putting his name in the goblet, then there's no telling who else might be involved. Harry agreed to be careful and ended the conversation.  
Harry talked with Sssloker, Sssslisssser and Ssssliter, did some dueling practice and looked through his books for any mention of the Tri Wizard Tournament. He found a few mentions but no real information. So far Dumbledore hadn't provided him with the tournament rules, so he couldn't check for himself to see if he could get out of it. He hoped the goblins would be able to find something, but with how sure Dumbledore and Crouch were he didn't have high hopes.

Turning back time, he made it to his common room before curfew. A note was waiting for him that said Dumbledore wanted to see him in his office at 7 AM the next morning and that the password was jelly belly.

Harry made his way up to his empty dorm room and found that his school trunk had been messed with. He only kept his school books and a couple changes of clothes in the school trunk, the rest of his valuables he kept in his new trunk which he kept shrunk and on his person at all times. The only person that he thought could have done this was Ron. He probably was searching for Harry invisibility cloak or the Marauders Map. Harry figured that Ron thought that if he was able to take something from Harry it would make himself feel better. The last vestiges of hope he had for their continuing friendship was now gone. Harry figured he would have to ward his school trunk and his bed from now on while he shared a dorm with Ronald. He checked his bed and clothes for any jinxes that might be on them. Thankfully he found none so he went to bed. He did cast a few security spells on his curtains to be on the safe side.  
The next morning on his way to Dumbledores office he spotted Hermione waiting for him in the common room. She got up and headed toward him when she saw him coming down the stairs and started to say. "Harry I..."  
Harry cut her off, he did want to speak to her but knew that it would be a long conversation and he had to be in the Headmasters office soon. "Hermione we need to talk but I have to be in Dumbledores office in 10 minutes, so we don't have time right now. I don't know how long it will take so how about we meet by the Black Lake for lunch? I will bring food and we can talk the whole lunch hour since we both don't have any classes till later that afternoon. We will have time to talk then. OK?"  
Harry could tell that she wanted to talk right then, but she nodded her head in agreement. "OK Harry, but you promise we'll talk at lunch?"

"I promise. I have to go, I'll see you soon." replied Harry, and then he left through the portrait hole towards Dumbledore's office.

When he got to the gargoyle guarding Dumbledores office he said that the password 'jelly belly' and the gargoyle slid aside. Making his way up the moving staircase he activated special features on his glasses and saw several intruder and identifying wards all along the staircase. He thought, ' _So that's how Dumbledore knows who's at the door before they knock_.' To prove his point he heard a "Come in Harry" before he had a chance to knock on the door. _'Sneaky bastard._ '

"Sit down Harry." said Dumbledore. "We have much to discuss."

Harry ignored Dumbledore's request to sit and made his way to Fawkes and started to pet the Phoenix, who let out a happy trill. "Hello Fawkes, how have you been?" said Harry. Fawkes just bumped his head against Harrys hand in response. "Good, good. I'm glad you're doing well." Harry liked the Phoenix and owed him/her his life. Turning back to Dumbledore he said. "Why did you want to see me Headmaster? Did you get me a copy of the tournament rules yet?"

"Yes I have a copy of the rules right here for you, which I will give to you at the end of this meeting. No, the reason I called you to my office is to discuss your recent attitude." said Dumbledore.

"What about my attitude Headmaster?" said Harry in a neutral tone of voice.

Your disrespect and choice of language in dealing with Professor Snape and Proffesor McGonagall, and your actions in the Great Hall yesterday morning during breakfast concerning Draco Malfoy." Answered Dumbledore.

"I may have been a bit rude to Professor McGonagall but I stand by my actions towards Snape." Said Harry.

"Professor Snape." interrupted Dumbledore.

"Calling that man a Professor is like calling Filch an amazingly powerful wizard. Snape doesn't teach at all, he just points to the instructions and belittles anyone who isn't a Slytherin." Spoke back Harry.

"L know you may not like Professor Snape, but that doesn't give you the right to disparage him." said Dumbledore.

"I loathe the man Headmaster. Have you ever been to one of his classes and watched how he," Harry made quotes with his fingers, "teaches?"

"I have full faith in the man." said Dumbledore.

"Bully for you." said Harry who took that moment to sit down.

"What is with all the hostility Harry?" asked Dumbledore.

Oh I don't know. What could possibly be going on that would cause me to be angry?" Harry replied back sarcastically.

"My dear boy I understand that you are upset with your name being entered, but you must get over it. It is not healthy to let you anger control you. That path leads to the dark. Malfoy had to spend the day yesterday in the hospital wing and I have received many floo calls from Lucius Malfoy and the Minister about this incident. I am afraid I have no choice but to assign you a week of detention with Mr. Filch for your actions." Said Dumbledore, with a disappointed look on his face.

"And what punishment is Draco getting for his actions?" asked Harry.

"What do you mean?" said a confused Dumbledore.

"You were there in the hall when he was shouting across at me how he bet I was going to die and be joining my mother and father soon. Are you telling me that that is acceptable headmaster?" said an angry Harry.

"Malfoys actions, however deplorable, were not to the level where I could interfere. He had not drawn his wand and not made a specific threat against you." said Dumbledore.

Harry was quiet and just stared at Dumbledore after this statement. He finally said. "I see. That's the way it is. Fine. I will serve **one** detention with Filch because I did fire first even though I was provoked."

"I'm afraid you have to serve a week. Mr. Malfoy and the Minister wanted a harsher punishment but I was able to convince them that this would be sufficient." said Dumbledore.

"I don't care what you told them. I'm only going to serve one detention. You can tell them I had to serve a month for all I care, but I'll only go to one." Spat back Harry.

"No Harry you must take responsibility for your actions." Replied back Dumbledore.

Harry intrepid him. "That's rich coming from you."

"What do you mean by that?" Dumbledore said with a confused expression on his face.

Harry was quiet and just stared at Fawkes. There was a tense silence in the room before Harry broke it by pointing to a stack of papers on the headmasters desk and asked "Are those the Tournament rules?"  
Dumbledore took a minute and then answered, "Yes they are." Harry stood up and snatched the papers from atop the desk and turned around and left the office leaving a surprised to Dumbledore behind, deep in thought.  
Harry made his way to the Chamber of Secrets from Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. Down in the chamber he spent the day going over the tournament rules but couldn't find anything that would allow him to quit. ' _Damn, damn, damn, damn damn! I'm going to kill the person who put my name into this tournament. It looks like it might be Crouch, but I don't know why he would do this to me_.' Harry took a nap and then turned back time so he would make it to his first class on time. He still had to meet Hermione for lunch, something he was dreading.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter Fifteen At Least Something Good Came Out Of It

Harry made it down to the Black Lake for lunch to find Hermione waiting for him. He had stopped by the kitchen to get Dobby to pack a lunch for two and ended up with enough food for five.

"Harry!" Hermione practically shouted. "Did you put your name into the goblet?" she asked.  
Harry shoulders began to sag and he said in a dejected voice. "I thought you knew me better than that Hermione."

I didn't think you would, but I had to ask." she said back sheepishly.

"So, do you believe I entered myself?" Harry asked, in a neutral tone.

"No Harry. I don't believe you entered yourself." She said with conviction.

"Ron does." replied Harry.

"Ron's just jealous. He'll get over it. He doesn't truly believe you would do it. He knows you better than that." Said Hermione.

"Whatever." Replied Harry, waiving off the comment about Ron.

"What are you going to do now?" asked Hermione. "Can Dumbledore get you out of the tournament? It's not fair that you have to compete with the older students."

"Yeah I talked to Dumbledore and he told me that I was obliged to compete or risk losing my magic." Said Harry.

"That's terrible." Responded Hermione. "That is so unfair."

"When has my life been fair?" Harry asked sarcastically.

At this Hermione gave him one of her bone crushing hugs, she pulled back and said. "We'll get through this Harry. You have my support, the first things we have to do is go to library and find out all we can about previous tournaments. Then we have to learn new spells, you have so much to catch up on with the other champions having three more years' experience than you. I'll start writing a schedule and we will start working on it right away."

"Hermione breathe." Said Harry. "I'm glad you believe me and I appreciate your help, but you have to calm yourself down. I am going to study and practice new spells but I going to do it on my own schedule. If you want to help me out that would be greatly appreciated, but this is my life on the line so I'm going to be doing things my way.

"But Harry, you need to take this seriously. I've heard that people have died in the tournament before." Said a flustered Hermione.

"I know Hermione, and that is probably why the bastard entered me into it, so I will get killed. I'm fully aware of what I have to do and I will do anything I need you to get through this in one piece." Said Harry

"Language Harry." Hermione automatically replied.

"Hermione, you're like a sister to me but you're not my mother. If you're going to be around me, and I hope you will be, you're going to be hearing much stronger language than bastard." Said Harry.

"Harry there's no reason to be impolite." Said Hermione.

"There's no reason to be polite either." said Harry.

"You'll lose points if teachers hear you speak like that." she said back.

"After my last discussion with Dumbledore I don't care what the teacher say." Replied Harry.

"What do you mean Harry? What did Dumbledore say to you?" asked Hermione.

"He gave me detention for what I did to Malfoy yesterday morning and I asked him what punishment Malfoy would get and he said that since he didn't make a threat it or draw his wand, there was nothing he could do." Said Harry.

"Well you did fire at Malfoy first." Said Hermione.

"And I will serve a detention because of that, but with Draco spouting off like that with no consequences proves that I will get no support from any of the teachers." Said Harry.

"That's not true Harry." she said.

"In all of your experience at Hogwarts, what makes you believe that?" he replied, looking at her with a raised eyebrow. Hermione had to think about that and had nothing to say, so Harry asked. "What do the Gryffindor girls say? Does anybody believe that I didn't enter my name into the goblet?"

"Nobody has said anything either way or I haven't pushed so I'm not sure. I don't think they believe you did it." Hermone replied.

"Let me know if you hear anything?" asked Harry.

"OK." replied Hermione.

They continued talking and eating the food that Dobby provided until it was time to go to their next class. Harry was glad that Hermione believed him and was willing to help them out. Hopefully his talk would curb some of her more bossy attributes. Time will tell.

Harry had dinner in the Great Hall that night. The responses were similar to breakfast the other day, if not a little more concerned about a violent reaction. He sat with Hermione and Neville, Ron was further down the table avoiding him. The twins sat down on the other side of the table from him and started with their twin speak.

"It's little Harrikin's…"

"…Youngest seeker of a century…"

"…Slayer of monsters…"

"…Savior of little girls…"

"…Scourge of Dementors…"

"…The Fourth champion…"

"…Doing Gryffindor proud." Finished the twins together.

"Don't forget shortest champion." Teased Hermione.

"Hey!" exclaimed Harry at this last one.

"So what's between you and little Ronnie? He keeps saying you're a liar and a cheat." Said who Harry thought was Fred.

"He doesn't believe that I didn't put my name into goblet and that I don't want to be in this damn tournament." Out of the corner of his eye he saw Hermione flinch at his language, but was able to keep her mouth shut. Harry was proud of her. "Do you guys think I entered?"

Twin one replied. "Nah, we believe you Harry. If you say you didn't do it than we don't think you did it."

"Besides if we couldn't get in…"

"There was no way for you to get in."

"Thanks guys, I appreciate that, I think." Harry said.

"No problem Harrikins. Now that you're in the tournament do you think you're going to win?" said twin two.

"I just want to survive." answered Harry.

"I'm sure you can win." Said Neville.

"Thanks Nev." Replied Harry.

The rest of dinner was a quiet affair for Harry. Nobody really talked to him, and that was fine by him. The rest of the house tables kept sending angry glares towards him and most looked like they wanted to hex him, but did nothing. It looked like it was going to be another terribly year.

The next morning Harry received an owl from Barkaxe. There was a note and a silver ring in the envelope. The note said 'Need to see you about the tournament at 10 am today. Activation phrase is 'time is money'.' Harry figured he would spend the day normally then turn back time and leave from the Chamber of Secrets.

It was an extremely long day, it seemed like time moved slower than normal. Harry regretted not going to the goblins first then turning back time and repeating the day at Hogwarts. Finally the day ended and he made his way down to the chamber and used the Time Turner. Saying "time is money" he disappeared from Hogwarts and appeared in the familiar Portkey arrival room at Gringotts. He was led to Barkaxes office, who was waiting for him.

"Welcome Mr. Potter." Said Barkaxe when Harry entered his office. "Have a seat."

"I hope you have some good news for me?" asked Harry.

"Yes and no Mr. Potter," Said Barkaxe. "The bad news first. You are indeed required to compete in the Tri Wizard Tournament."

Harry interrupted him, "That was the one thing I don't want to happen."

"Understandable Mr. Potter. But there is some good that has happened because of your inclusion in the tournament." Said Barkaxe.

"What good could there be with me having to be in the tournament?" asked depressed Harry.

"Because of the wording of the contract, you are now considered an of age wizard." Said Barkaxe.

"What! What does that mean?" spluttered Harry.

"You now are Lord Potter, Head of the Potter family, and have access to all your vaults and are no longer affected by the restriction on underage sorcery. You also have a seat on the Wizengamot available to you now. You can sit yourself or choose a proxy to sit and vote for you while you are at school." Replied Barkaxe.

"Does this mean that Dumbledore is no longer my magical guardian? And who is the proxy for the Potter seat now?" asked Harry. "Wait, It's Dumbledore isn't it?"

"Yes, to both questions." Said Barkaxe.

"Does he know about my emancipation?" asked Harry.

"We found no reason to inform him of this, but if he has read the tournament rules closely he would be able to figure it out." Said Barkaxe.

' _I wonder if Dumbledore will tell me about this? Probably not.'_ Harry thought. Out loud he said. "So he no longer has access to my vaults?"

Barkaxe answered. "Not anymore. We will deactivate any keys he might have in his possession. There is also another possible benefit to you in the contract, Mr. Potter."

"What is it?" asked Harry.

The way the contract is worded limits the tournament to one champion per school, but doesn't limit the number of schools that can participate." Said Barkaxe.

"What does that mean for me?" responded Harry.

Barkaxe said, "This means Mr. Potter, is that you as the fourth champion are no longer a student of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

"I have to leave Hogwarts?" said a shocked Harry.

"No, Mr. Potter." Said Barkaxe. "The contract is worded so that any participating school, of which you are now considered from, can request living quarters, have unrestricted access to the library, and can attend any class of their choosing. You are also not limited to the school grounds."

Harry was shocked silent at this. Finally he asked. "How does this affect me? Do I have to do anything for my own school?"

"You can choose who you want to represent you on the judges panel. Other than that there is nothing for you to do but participate in any tournament events" Replied Barkaxe.

Harry sat silently deep in thought. ' _Since I'm not a part of Hogwarts any more I don't have to follow the school rules or listen to any of the teachers. I'll be back next year so I better not burn too many bridges. No matter what Snape can suck it. Too bad Sirius is still a wanted man, he would've made an excellent headmaster. The biggest prank of his life, he would love it. Maybe I can get Remus to be the Headmaster of my school. That would sure piss off Snape. Yeah, that's what I'll do. Dumbledore has no power over me anymore!'_

Barkaxe interrupted Harry's train of thought. "There is still some paperwork you have to complete before you are officially Head of House. Sign here, and here…" Harry signed several pieces of parchment that Barkaxe put in front of him. "The Potter family ring is in the Potter family vault. It is up to you if you want to collect it. It is not required to wear it, but it would make it easier to convince people that you are indeed emancipated. Would you like to visit the Potter family vault now Mr. Potter?"

"Yes I would." Replied Harry. "Barkaxe, you said when I first visited you that I have several properties?"

"That is correct Mr. Potter. I will compile a list and have it available to you when you get back from visiting your vault." Said Barkaxe.

It was a long and twisty trip down to the Potter Family vault, #33. Harry handed his key to the goblin who opened the vault and stood aside. The goblin said. "I will leave you now Mr. Potter. When you are done, activate this rune," He pointed to a rune carved in the wall just outside the vault door. "and a goblin will be by shortly to collect you. Do you need anything else before I go?"

"No thank you, I will be fine." Harry said. The goblin turned around and left on the cart, leaving Harry alone. Stepping into the Potter family vault was a wonder to Harry. Harry could barely see the back of the vault from the vault door. There was a huge pile of gold coins directly I front of the entrance, and a pile of trunks that Harry learned had an expansion charm on the inside, that were filled with Galleons. There were barrels filled with raw and cut gems and precious stones. There was also many glass display cases filled with all types of jewelry. Suits of armor, clothes, weapons, furniture and books filled most of the empty space of the vault.

The biggest treasure for Harry was all the pictures and portraits he found in the vault. Here were many pictures of his mother and father. He found quite a few of a couple that he learned were his grandfather and grandmother. There were pictures and portraits of Potters going back generations. Harry knew that the portraits needed to be tied into the ward scheme of a residence for them to 'come alive' or have a special rune set carved on the frame that draws ambient magical energy into it to power the magic of the portrait, so he had to wait until he got to one of his properties or carved the rune set himself before he could speak to them. His parents had no portraits but his grandparent did, he was a little disappointed at not being able to speak with even a shadow of his parents.

Harry spent the next couple of hours searching the vault. He expanded his trunk and put several things from the vault into it. Several portraits, His grandparents included, plus many of the pictures went into the trunk. Several books, weapons, clothes and a few gems and pieces of jewelry joined the growing pile of stuff he was going to take with him. He also grabbed the Potter Lord ring but couldn't make up his mind if he was going to wear it yet.

Harry didn't want to leave but realized that he would be able to return at any time. Stepping out of vault he pushed magic into the rune. The vault door closed and fifteen minutes later a cart arrived with a different goblin. Ten minutes later he was back in Barkaxes office.

"I have prepared the list of your properties Mr. Potter. I have split the list into two piles for you. The first list is your residential properties. They are listed by your own personal properties and current rented properties. The second list is property that are being used by business in both the Magical and Muggle world." Barkaxe said while handing Harry two pieces of parchment. "I also put together a list of stocks you own in both the Magical and Muggle world." Barkaxe said while handing Harry a third and fourth piece of parchment.

All three lists were surprisingly long. It turned out that he owned a house near Hyde Park in London, and a property on the Lancashire coast near Blackpool, another property in France inMontpelliernearPalavas-les-Flots **,** and a property in Italy near Praiano. It seemed that the Potters liked beach front properties. There was also a property in Hogsmeade and a flat in Diagon Alley. These were only Potter personal properties, It turned out that there was no property listed in Godrics Hollow. Harry was a little curious about this.

The rental properties were another matter. Harry recognized a few names of students at Hogwarts, but most of the other names he had no clue about. The list had over fifty properties listed. The list of business properties was even longer. There were quite a few in Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade. Harry decided to examine the stock list later.

"How do I get to the properties in this list?" Harry asked, showing Barkaxe the Potter Property list. "And is there a way to have them fixed up and warded if they need it?"

"There might be Portkeys in your vault or we can provide a one time or permanent Portkeys to any of your properties, for a fee. We of course can fix any damage and ward any of your properties, for a fee. I would recommend acquiring a House Elf. They can travel to any property you own and can do most basic repairs and upkeep. Have it check out your properties and report back to you what needs to be done. Now that you are emancipated you can bond a House Elf."

' _I wonder if Dobby will work for me? Of course he would. Maybe Winky will also work for me? I wonder what's involved with bonding a house elf?_ ' Harry thought. "What do you recommend I do about the rental properties?" he asked Barkaxe.

Barkaxe responded. "I would have an assessment of current market value done for all your properties, personal, rental, and business, and adjust the rent to current rates. This is part of my normal duties so there will be no extra fee."

"Yes, do the assessment, but hold off on raising the rates until I have a chance to go over the information please Barkaxe." Said Harry.

"It will take a few days to complete Mr. Potter." Replied Barkaxe.

"No hurry. Is there anything else?" asked Harry.

"We have sold about ten percent of the Basilisk so far. 431,333 galleons 5 sickles, and 11 knuts have been deposited in your Sam Underhill vault." Said Barkaxe. "The cloaks and purse will still be a few weeks before they are ready because we have to cure the Basilisk skin before it can be used,"

' _I'm never going to be able to spend all that money! Damn! Now that I'm an emancipated minor should I get rid of the Sam identity? No I can still use it to do things I don't want the Potter name involved with. Rons not getting a claok or a mirror anymore. Maybe… yeah, I'll give Rons cloak to Remus and still have an extra._ ' Harry thought. "That's fine. I was going to give them as Christmas gifts, so if they are ready by then it will be fine." He said. "Anything else?"

"We believe we are getting closer to utilizing the Horcrux to find the others. Our experts believe it will be accomplished in a few weeks." Said Barkaxe.

This brought Harrys excitement down a peg or two. "That's good. I should go. Will the Portkey take me back to the same place I left from?"

"Of course Mr. Potter. Have a good day, and congratulations on becoming a Lord." Barkaxe said, and then he called a goblin to escort Harry to the Portkey room.

He had a very important question to ask Dobby when he got back to Hogwarts, and a lot to tell Sirius. He had to look up what being a Lord meant in the wizarding world, is it different in the Muggle world? Is he a Lord in the Muggle world too? He had to train and get ready for the first task. He also had to figure out how he is going to handle Dumbledore and the teachers of Hogwarts. Look out Snape, Harry Potter is free.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter Sixteen Action and Reaction

The Portkey dropped Harry back in the Chamber of Secrets and he immediately mirror called Sirius. "Padfoot!" he shouted, pushing magic into the mirror.

A minute passed before Sirius's face appeared in the mirror. "What's up pup? Everything all right?"

There was a smile on Harrys face when he responded. "Everything's fine. Messed up, but that's normal. How would you like to help me with the biggest prank of all time?"

There was a grin on Sirius's face. "Any time, any where! What's the prank?"

"I just got back from Gringotts. I have to participate in the damn tournament, but… I'm considered as being my own school. And can choose my own headmaster to be a judge! I want it to be Remus." teased Harry.

Sirius let out a bark like laugh. "Ha! Remus would be perfect."

"I wanted you but…" said Harry.

"Yeah I know." replied Sirius. "So… what's up with your school?"

"Nothing so far. I get to choose the person to be a judge to represent me on the panel. Why?" asked Harry.

"Well, if you have your own school does this mean you have your own school name and school song, and school motto, and school colors?" asked Sirius.  
"I don't know." replied Harry. "I guess, it's not a real school you know."

"It's for the tournament. You have to have school pride after all, you are presenting Potters Perfect Preschool."

"There's no way it's going to be the named that Sirius." Replied Harry.

"Oh, we'll think of something, we have time. We'll get Remus involved in the name. It's going to be so much fun! I wish I could be there to watch." Said Sirius.

"Yeah me too." replied Harry. "There's more stuff that happened though."

"What else?" Sirius asked. "Anything I can help with?"

"Yeah, as a matter fact there is. I have some questions for you. Because of the way the contract is worded I am now Lord Harry James Potter, Head of the Potter family"

"What!" shouted Sirius.

"Yeah, the way the contract was written said that only 'of age wizards' are allowed to participate and since my name came out of it and I have to participate… it means I am considered an of age wizard. I have been emancipated and am now the Head of the Potter Family, even though I'm only 14." Responded Harry.

"Wow! That's amazing! You know that the Ministry is going to fight you, don't you?" asked Sirius.

"Probably, but the goblins will back me up, and it was their own contract that caused this. I am going to need your help in learning what it means to be head of a family though. Dumbledore still hasn't even told me that the Potters are an Ancient and Noble House and that I have more than my trust vault, so I doubt he'll help me when it comes to running the Potter Family." Said Harry.

"Yeah, probably not. I avoided most of that stuff growing up, but I'll help you anyway I can. I'll get you a couple of books that will help. And when Remus is your new headmaster," Sirius snickers at this. "Then he should be able to help you with them too. You can always mirror call me if you have any questions."

"Thanks Sirius." replied Harry, "That will help. I also have a seat to fill on the Wizengamot. I was thinking of asking Remus, but I might be able to get away with him as my headmaster, but I doubt I could put him on the Wizengamot. Too many bigoted purebloods from what I understand. Do you have any recommendations on who should sit for my proxy?"

"Who's your proxy now?" Sirius asked.

"Dumbledore. Another thing he hasn't told me. I don't want him on my seat any longer than he has to be." Said Harry.

"Let me think about it for a little while and I'll get back to you." said Sirius.

"Not a problem." replied Harry.

"We're still getting together during the Hogsmeade weekend, right?" asked Sirius.

"Yeah, I want to see you in person now more than ever." answered Harry.

"I'll give you my recommendation then and bring you the books I promised. Anything else I should bring you?" queried Sirius.

"Maybe bring Remus along with you and have him meet us at the cave. Don't tell him about me wanting him become to be headmaster yet, I want to surprise him." Said Harry.

"Sounds like fun. I want to see the look on his face when you tell him that." Sirius said.

"There is another thing." said Harry.

"What's that pup?" replied Sirius.

"Do you know how to bond a house elf, even if he's bonded already?" asked Harry.

"Yeah, I know a bit about house elf bonds." replied Sirius. "There are three types. Do you know what type of bond the elf is part of now?"

"I know that he's bonded to Hogwarts. What are the three types of bonds?" asked Harry.

"The first, and strongest bond, is a bond to an individual person. This gives the elf the most strength and creates the deepest interaction between the elf and his master. There's almost like a telepathic bond that allows the elf to anticipate their masters needs, and is only required to listen to his masters orders. The second type of bond is a bond of family. The elf is bonded to every member of a particular family, like the Potters or the Blacks, and is required to follow any order any of the family members give him, even distantly related family. Both these bonds can only be broken by handing the elf clothes with the intent to break the bond. The first bond from can only be broken by the elf's master. The second bond can be broken by any adult member of the family."

Harry interrupted him at this point. "Wait a minute. Dobby was freed when I tricked Lucius into giving Dobby a sock. He didn't intend to free Dobby."

Sirius answered. "Magic doesn't care whose intent it was. Dobby must have been the one with the intent to break the bond."

"Oh, Ok." Harry replied, still not fully understanding.

Sirius continued, "The third bond is a bonding to a location, such as Hogwarts. This is the weakest bond and can be easily broken. This is the only bond that the elf can break on their own. So if whichever elf you were thinking of bonding decides to leave Hogwarts and bond with you, it won't cause a problem. To Bond an elf to you, all you have to do is place the elf's hand in your hand and say,' I, state your name, bond, state the elf's name, as a, state family or personal, elf. So mote it be.' The elf then replies with either and I accept or a no, and I never heard of an elf saying no. You should feel a pulse of magic and the bond will have formed. Easy peezee."

"Thanks Sirius, that sounds easy enough." said Harry.  
"It is. Which elf do you have in mind, or you just going to ask around to get one?" asked Sirius.

"There's actually two I have in mind that are at Hogwarts right now. The first one is Dobby, he's the crazy elf I told you about that I freed from Lucius in my second year. The other one is Winky, she was Barty Crouches elf which he let go for no reason during the World Cup," answered Harry.

"Do you need two elves Harry?" asked Sirius. "Do you have enough work for them? You know they go crazy if they don't have work to do."

"Yeah, it turns out that my becoming emancipated and the Head of House means I have access to all the Potter properties. I have several houses that I need to have checked to see if they need to be fixed up and then maintained. I also have a lot of rental properties, who knows, I may need to get a couple more elves to help later on. I'll have to see what I need." Harry replied.

"Wow! I guess this means you don't have to go back to the Dursley's anymore?" Sirius said with a smirk.

"I never thought of that, but you're right." said Harry. "This is great! I'm free from Dumbledore, and now I'm free from the Dursley's! We have to get you cleared Sirius so you can come and stay with me!"  
"We'll keep trying to, but after my second escape from Hogwarts, I doubt the current Minister would ever consider freeing me. Even if we put the traitor Pettigrew right on his desk stuffed to the gills with veritasirum." Complained Sirius.

"From what I've seen and heard of the man, you're probably right. Plus if Crouch was involved with putting my name in the goblet, who knows who at the Ministry might be involved. They definitely won't be doing me any favors." Harry said back.

"We'll get through this Harry, I'm with you. Any idea what the first task is?" asked Sirius.

"No, but according to some of the books I've read about previous tournaments, it usually has to do with some type of dangerous magical creature." Harry answered.

"Well even if Remus doesn't become your Headmaster, I'm sure he'll still help you figure out how to do the tasks. He knows a lot about magical creatures." said Sirius. "Do you want to call him and ask?"

"Not yet. I still don't know what type of creatures they are, but I'll definitely be trying to find out. Plus I don't want him to hear anything about possibly being my new Headmaster for the year. I want it to be a surprise." Harry said.

"I'll definitely get him to meet us on the Hogsmeade weekend." replied Sirius.

"Good. I better go. I'll see you soon." Harry said ending the mirror call.

Harry made his way to the kitchens and spotted Dobby. Looking at all the house elves in the kitchen, Harry realized that he may offend them by asking to bond Dobby in front of them so he asked Dobby to meet him in the Room of Requirement, and then made his way there under his invisibility cloak. When he got to the Room the Requirement, he paced in front of the wall three times and it transformed into a copy of the third compartment of his trunk. He sat on the couch and asked Dobby to have a seat.

Dobby broke into tears at this and said. "Harry Potter wants Dobby to sit in a chair like an equal! Harry Potter is the bestest and most kind wizard ever!"

For a moment Harry had second thoughts about bonding this excitable elf, but hoped that maybe if he was bonded to him he wouldn't be so… worshipy. He said, "Calm down Dobby! I want to ask you a question, but you need to remain calm. OK?"

"Dobby will do whatever Harry Potter says, Dobby will calm down."

Dobby did calm down a little bit but it was still like a hyper two-year-old bouncing in a seat. "OK Dobby, I have a serious question for you. Do you want to be my house elf?"

Dobbys reaction was immediate. He shouted, "Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!" and flung himself at Harry Potter embracing him in a hug.

Harry let Dobby hug him for a minute and then pushed him off so he could talk to the elf again. "OK Dobby, from what I understand you have to break your bond with Hogwarts. Can you do that?"

"Oh yes Harry Potter sir. Dobby will do that right away." Dobby closed his eyes and Harry saw a wave a magic pass over Dobby and then Dobby opened his eyes and said. Dobby is a free elf again Harry Potter."

"OK Dobby, I'm going to bond you now." Harry put his hand on Dobbys and said, "I Harry James Potter bond Dobby as my personal elf. So mote it be." and then he pushed some of his magic.  
Dobby said, "I axcept!" And Harry felt a pulse of magic travel through him, which he believed to be the bond forming. Harry looked down and saw that Dobby had seemed to have de-aged. Dobby looked younger than he had a few minutes before, and even though it was hard to tell, he looked healthier too.  
"Harry Potter is the greatest wizard ever! Dobby is the luckiest house elf ever."

Harry said, "OK Dobby, there's a few things I need you to do, and a few rules for you to follow."

"Yes master." said an excited Dobby hopping up-and-down.

"OK first rule is, don't call me master."

"Yes mas… Harry Potter sir." said Dobby.

Harry said, "The second rule is, no punishing yourself. If you do something you think is wrong, tell me about it and we will decide on the appropriate action. Third, I don't want anyone to know that you're my house self yet. I'm not ashamed of you Dobby." Harry said when he saw the forlorn expression that crossed Dobby face. "It's just that there are things that I want to do and I don't want people to know that I am able to do them yet. You're going to be my secret weapon." This put a smile back on Dobby face. "Because of this I don't want you to pop in when anyone is near me, or will be able to see you, unless I tell you ahead of time that the person is allowed to know."

"Dobby cans do that Harry Potter sir."

"Good, now the last rule I have for now is that you have to take care of yourself. Make sure you get enough sleep and food and if there is anything that you want just ask me and I'll see if I can get it for you." Harry said. "And if you ever want to be free again, let me know and I will release you."

"Dobby knew that Harry Potter is the greatest ma... Wizard in the whole world!"

Harry just rolled his eyes at the elf's antics. He would try to curb the elf's enthusiasm but knew that at the moment it would be a lost cause. "Dobby there's are some things I would like you to do. I just became head of the Potter family and found out that I have several properties. Can you find them? I have a list with their addresses if that will help."

Dobby closed his eyes and had expression of concentration pass over his face. A few seconds later Dobby opened his eyes and said. "Dobby not needing the list Harry Potter's sir. Dobby knows where Harry Potter sir properties be."

"That's good Dobby. I want you to check out all of the properties and see what state they're in. And if they need to be repaired, and if the ward still functioning. Can you tell what type of wards are on the property?" asked Harry.

"Dobby can tell what wards do, but Dobby does not know proper names. Dobby can also tell how strong wards are. Dobby will find out and tell the great Harry Potter!"

"That would be helpful Dobby, thanks. Some of these properties are in other countries. I know one's in France and another is in Italy, will this be a problem?"

"No sir Harry Potter sir. Dobby can go to anywhere Harry Potter owns, no matter how far away."

"I don't want you to put yourself at risk, it's a big job and I don't want you to wear yourself out. So should I get another house self to help you out?" Dobby looked affronted at this question. "Maybe Winky?"

This last caused a huge smile to break on Dobby face ."You would bond Winky? She be a good elf and make ma... Harry Potter proud. Harry Potter would do this for Winky."

"You said she wasn't happy here and I said that I would do anything I could to help. If you think this will help her then I will bond her." Harry said.

"Oh yes Harry Potter's sir, this will help Winky. Should I go get her now Harry Potter sir?"

"Is she still drinking butterbeer?" Harry asked.

Dobby look sad and answered. "Yes Harry Potter sir. She still be drinking butterbeer."

"OK, your first duty Dobby, is to get Winky to stop drinking butterbeer, so that I can bond her. If you tell her that I plan on bonding her it may help her stop drinking." Harry said.

"Right away Harry Potter sir!" and Dobby popped out before Harry could say anything else.

' _That is one crazy elf._ ' Harry thought. _'But he means well_.' Not knowing how long it would take, Harry grabbed a book on wizard law and started reading.  
An hour later Dobby popped in with a semi-sober Winky. Dobby said. "I is bringing Winky for you to bond Harry Potter. She no longer be drinking butterbeer."

Harry turned Winky and asked. "Do you want me to bond you to the Potter family Winky?"

"Oh yes! Winky misses her family and wants nothing more than to be part of a family again."

"OK Winky." said Harry. "I will bond you to the Potter family. Can you break your bond with Hogwarts now?"

Winky closed her eyes and the concentration look appeared on her face. A wave of magic seemed to pass over her, same as with Dobby. Winky opened her eyes and said. "Winky is ready to be bonded please!"

"OK." said Harry, placing his hand on Winkys. "I Harry James Potter Bond Winky as a Potter Family elf. So mote it be!"

Winky said, "Winky axcepts!" and Harry felt a pulse of magic run through him. It was not quite as strong as with Dobby and Harry figured it was because it was a different type of bond.

"OK Winky, there is a task that I set for Donby and I want you to join him and help him out. There are a few rules that I gave to Dobby which I will have him explain to you." Turning to Dobby, Harry said. "I want you to inspect all my personal properties. The closest first, start with Hogsmeade, then London, then the property by Blackpool. When you have inspected all three of those properties, return to me to report. Remember only if I am alone. And tell Winky the rules."

"Yes sir Harry Potter sir." Dobby said then popped out followed by Winky.

Harry looked at his watch and saw that he has ten minutes until curfew. Exiting the Room of Requirement, he made his way to Gryffindor tower thinking. ' _Boy this was one of the longest days ever. Some good came of it though. I now have two elves and access to my vaults and all my properties. I'm free from Dumbledore the Dursley's, and I'm about to play a prank on the whole school. I sure hope Remus agrees to be my schools headmaster. I wonder what it's going to happen tomorrow_?'


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter Seventeen New Attitudes

The next morning had a nasty surprise waiting for Harry. When he entered the Great Hall for breakfast he saw something new on the robes of several students, mostly Slytherin and Hufflepuff. It was a button that's said 'Support Cedric Diggory, the true Hogwarts Champion'. The whole Slytherin table turned to him and pressed the button at the same time and the button changed to 'Potter Stinks!' There was an oversized smirk on Malfoy's face and Harry figured he had something to do with it. Deciding to ignore it for now he sat down at the Gryffindor table and starting eating breakfast.

Hermione said to him. "Those buttons are awful Harry, are you OK? I will talk to the teachers and see if I can get them to make them take them off."

Harry replied. "Why? You know they won't do anything about it Hermione."

"I'm going to ask anyway. They have to do something, it's not right." Hermione replied.

"Go ahead and ask." said Harry. "I promise not to say I told you so when nothing happens."

Hermione just turned around and started eating her breakfast again. Harry turned to Neville and asked. "Do you know who made the buttons?"

"I don't know who made them, but Malfoy was handing them out and looked very smug. I don't think he made them himself though, I don't think he's smart enough." replied Neville.

Harry replied. "You're probably right, he probably got some Ravenclaw to make them for him."

"What are you going to do Harry?" asked a nervous Neville.

"Nothing right now officially." said Harry and he went back eating his breakfast. After eating, Harry snuck down to the Chamber of Secrets and called Sssloker, Sssslisssser and Ssssliter. When they arrived harry asked them. "How do you guysss feel about having a little fun, I mean galsss?"

"What do you have in mind?" asked Ssssliter.

"There are people were wearing thisss button." Harry said while pulling out a button he had confiscated off a first year Ravenclaw as he passed him in the hall. "I want you to trip them up and ssscare them asss long asss you can be sssafe and not ssseen. I don't want people to know about you. If you sssee anybody wearing a button, feel free to have fun with them, but no permanent injury. Except maybe for Malfoy."

"Who isss Malfoy? Asked Sssloker.

"I'll point him out to you later, ssso are you up to it?" asked Harry.

"Sssoundsss like fun." said Sssloker. Ssssliter said she was not interested. Ever since she was attacked she never wondered too far from the chamber. Harry would have to do something to cheer her up and try to get her out more.

The next few weeks passed with many students having small accidents. Some tripping down stairs or having a suit of armor fall on them, some people swore that they heard hissing. Draco got the worst of it and he was jumping at every noise he heard. It turned out that the Slytherin dorms opened up with Parseltongue. The snakes were able to get in and cause mischief. Harry saved this piece of information for later use. People blamed Peeves or the twins for all the accidents, but they were seen in different parts of the castle during most of the accidents. So far nobody had yet put together the correlation of the people who are having accidents and the people wearing the 'Potter Stinks' buttons.

Harry served his one detention as he promised he would with Filch over the weekend. Filch had Harry cleaning and polishing all the trophies in the trophy room for four hours without magic. Not wanting to let anyone know that he was no longer part of Hogwarts and his own school yet, he complied this one time. Not wanting to deal with Snape, Harry avoided the situation by not showing up to potions class. He also ignored all of the summons to the Headmasters office that he received, he didn't want to deal with the old man. The teachers kept reminding him about needing to see Dumbledore every time they saw him and Harry just said "OK" and walked off. McGonagall was fuming by the end of the week but nothing she did, either taking points from Gryffindor, or getting detentions which Harry never showed up for, did any good.

Strangely enough the Gryffindor point total never changed when points were deducted from Harry. Nobody could figure this out and Snape was apoplectic with rage. Harry had to laugh inside whenever someone mentioned the strange situation with the points. Harry was sure Dumbledore knew the reason but since he wasn't saying anything, neither was Harry.

The Beauxbatons and Durmstrang students spent most of their time separated from the Hogwarts students. Harry occasionally saw one or two in the library studying, but hardly saw them at any other time. Harry really didn't care. ' _So much for fostering magical cooperation_.' Harry thought.

"It was now the Hogsmeade weekend and Harry was looking forward to seeing Sirius. During the previous mirror call Sirius told him that he had convinced Remus to meet them and that he had no clue what Harry wanted to ask him. Harry went down to the village with Hermione. He had told her of his meeting with Sirius and after she had complained about how it was too dangerous, she finally agreed to cover for Harry when he went to go see him. Harry had promised her a new book and this seemed to help. He wanted to give her a book on Oclumancy so he could share a few of his secrets with her. He still didn't trust Snape or Dumbledore, and with Moody and Crouch involved didn't want to risk it. Harry didn't mention any of this to Hermione but knew that she would learn Oclumancy just because it was new magic. Telling her it would help with studying didn't hurt either.

11 o'clock rolled around and Harry was at the end of the village. He spotted a big black dog hiding in some trees a little ways off and went to it. "Hey Padfoot." He said. "There are leash laws in Britain you know." The dog let out a bark that seemed to say. "Very funny." Harry was amazed a bark could sound sarcastic. "I'll put on my invisibility cloak and follow you." and he did just that.

The trek to the cave took about half an hour. When they got to the mouth of the cave Harry stopped and set his new standard set of rune stones. There was the Notice-Me-Not set and the magic detection blocking rune set. He also added a privacy rune set. This was different from the silencing stones in that no sound would pass in either direction. Sirius had transformed back to his human state at this point and Remus came from inside the cave and asked Harry what he was doing. Harry told them what the runes stones did and both men were impressed.

Making his way into the cave Harry saw Buckbeak chewing on what looked like a dead ferret. ' _Looks a little like Malfoy._ ' Harry thought looking at the dead ferret. Bowing to Buckbeak, he waited for him to nod back. Buckbeak nodded back right away and Harry approached and started to pet him.

"Hey pup, nice job with the stones." Sirius said.

"Thanks. Runes can be useful. Wish someone told me last year." Harry replied. He went towards Sirius and gave him a great big hug. He also gave Remus a hug. "Hold on a second. Harry went further into rthe cave and placed the other half of the set of rune stones and activated then. "Now anything we do between the two sets of stones won't be detected."

"That is some very advanced work Harry. I'm impressed." Said Remus.

"Thanks. Now the reason I wanted you to come with Sirius was because I have some serious news." Sirius started to say something but Harry cut him off. "And it's not about the mangy mutt." Teased Harry.

"Hey!" Said Sirius indignantly. The smirk in his face ruined the sentiment.

Remus let out a little chuckle, glad Harry stopped Sirius from making a stupid pun. "What's the news?"

"I'm no longer a student at Hogwarts." Harry said in a neutral tone.

"What!?" yelled Remus. "What do you mean you're no longer a Hogwarts student? Did they kick you out? Is it because of the tournament? Won't you lose your magic if they don't let you compete in the tournament? Dumbledore is going to let you lose your magic?"

Harry kept a straight face through all of Remus's questions and Sirius was trying his best too. Harry was a little annoyed at the last question about Dumbledore and thought. ' _Remus still has faith in Dumbledore. I'll have to dissuade him of that faith, if I can_.' He answered Remus. "It has to do with the contract. Kinda. Yes. Yes and no. Probably not."

Remus said. "What!" again and Sirius lost it and started rolling on the ground in laughter at the expression on Remus's face. Remus's expression changed to one of indignation and determination and said, "Explain better!"

Harry was laughing at this point, not as hard as Sirius, and he started to explain through the chuckles. "When my name came out of the Goblet of Fire, the contract that it was based on said that there could be only one champion per school."

"And that means?" asked Remus, cutting in.

"It means that as the fourth champion, I am technically part of my own school. It also means that I am considered 'Of Age' and have been emancipated." Harry answered.

"What do you mean you're of age? You're only 14! That's not possible." Remus said with a shocked expression.

Harry thought. ' _I'll probably have to deal with this again when I tell Hermione._ ' Aloud he said. "It is possible. I had it checked with Gringotts and they confirmed it. It also means that I am now head of the Potter family."

"That's amazing. What has Dumbledore said?" asked Remus

The smile had left Harrys face at the last question. "Nothing. Not a damn thing other than that I have to participate in the tournament and should just go with the flow."

"I'm sure that Dumbledore…" Remus started to say.

Harry cut him off. "Listen Remus, there are some things that I have to tell you about Dumbledore. It will take a while and there are more important things going on. I promise to explain, but not right now. Sufficed to say Dumbledore hasn't been any help."

"OK Harry, I'll trust you. What else is going on?" asked Remus.

"Well, we believe' Harry nods his head toward Sirius. "That Barty Crouch was the one that put my name in the Goblet of Fire., and that Moody knows."

"What do you mean Moody knows? The Moody I know wouldn't be a part of something like that." Remus cut in.

"We're not 100 percent sure, but I have seen Crouch and Moody in Moodys office together on the Marauders Map since the beginning of the school year." Replied Harry.

"That doesn't make sense. Crouch and Moody aren't gay. Crouch was married and had a kid. And Moody…well he was never married, but I'm sure he likes girls. He spent enough time talking about his conquests when we got together in Order meeting during the last war." Said a flustered Remus.

Harry was curious about what Order Remus was referring to but decided to ask later. ' _Maybe Sirius will know?_ ' He thought. "He might have changed? I don't know and it doesn't matter. All I know is that I see them on the map together every night. Also that the map showed Crouch approach the Goblet of Fire alone, in the middle of the night, and the next day my name came out of it." Said Harry.

"That… is strange." Said Remus. "What are you going to do about it?"

Sirius responded. "We're not really sure what to do. We were hoping that maybe you could help."

"Of course I'll help. But how? I don't know anything more than Sirius and have no reason to go back to Hogwarts to help you Harry." Remus replied.

"Yeah… about that." Said Harry. "Another thing about me having my own school is that I need a Headmaster to represent me on the judges panel…and I want it to be you."

Sirius was back on the floor laughing as Remus facial features changed again. Remus spluttered. "You can't be serious?"

Again Harry beat Sirius to the response. "No I'm not, he is." and he pointed to Sirius.

Remus just groaned, and said. "I appreciate the thought Harry, but remember that I had to leave Hogwarts last year when my… condition came to light."

"But the beautiful thing is that you won't be a Hogwarts teacher, you'll be the Headmaster of a visiting school. Harrys Happy Handjobs" Said Sirius.

"It is definitely won't be named that!" shouted Harry. Sirius was back on the ground. "I actually came up with a name. Fantastic University. F. U. for short." Remus joined Sirius on the ground.

It took several minutes before they were able to regain their composure. Sirius said, "That's perfect! What else have you decided about your school?"

"Well… I'm going to keep the Gryffindor colors of red and gold. I also have in mind a school flag with a lion…taking a shit on either Snape or Draco Malfoy. Hopefully this will be enough to keep Gryffindor's support when this comes out." Harry answered.

Sirius was the first to reply. "I vote for Snivilles!"

Remus countered. "While the colors and the lion are a good idea, do you really want to antagonize Severus? You know he will have a fit."

"Definitely! There's nothing he can do about it. Remember, I'm not a Hogwarts student anymore." Harry said.

"You know the Ministry will probably cause some problems if I am your Headmaster?" asked Remus.

"We thought of that. That's why we are going to have to establish a school that is out of Britain, I'm thinking the Caribbean. They don't care as long as the moneys right." Said Sirius. "And don't you have a teachers certification? How did you get one by the way?"

Remus answered. "I got it from the ICW. They are more understanding about Werewolves. There was no way that the British Ministry would give me one."

"What does it take to get a teachers certificate?" asked Harry.

"Well in Britain all you have to do is pay about ten galleons, and presto!. You're a teacher. At the ICW you at least have to take a short test on either a single subject or a longer one on more general magic. Plus pay two galleons." Answered Remus.

"Good, the ICW certificate will help in setting up a new school." Said Sirius. "The goblets contract gives protection to the visiting schools. There is nothing the Ministry can do."

Remus was silent, deep in thought. Then he said. "OK…I'll do it. I owe it to James and Lily to protect you Harry. What do I have to do?"

"You and maybe Sirius need to buy a property…" Harry saw Remus was about to interrupt and he beat him to it. "Don't worry Remus. I have more money than I know what to do with. Plus I recently made several million galleons"

Remus did interrupt Harry this time. "How did you do that?"

Harry replied, "do you remember hearing about the monster that as petrifying student the year before you taught?"

"Yes?" said Remus.

It was a Basilisk. I killed it, and this year I had the goblins sell it for me." Harry said smugly.

Remus spluttered. "A Basilisk! And you killed it?"

"Yup" said Harry.

"How?" Remus asked bewildered.

"With Gryffindors Sword. I'll tell you the whole story later…Headmaster." Said Harry.

"You better… or you will be in detention all year." Remus said. Sirius started laughing again.

"Right, right. Anyway, after you set up the school, we'll let it be known that I am no longer a part of Hogwarts and introduce my new school and introduce you as the Headmaster." Said Harry.

"We can do that. It will be chaos, you know that right?" answered Remus.

"I hope so." Said Harry. Sirius agreed with him. "The contract guarantees sleeping quarters and access to the library. Do you want to stay at Hogwarts? I also learned that I have a property near Hogsmeade, do you want to stay there instead?"

I would like to stay at Hogwarts but… because of 'Mooney' It might cause too many problems." Answered Remus.

"I don't care." Said Harry.

"But I do." Said Remus.

"How about you stay the days in Hogwarts and the night in my Hogsmeade home?" asked Harry.

"That could work." Answered Remus.

"Great. Now than that's settled. What's the average salary of a Caribbean Headmaster?" said Sirius.

"I'm not going to take your money Harry." Stated Remus seriously.

You have to to make it official. How about I just pay you one galleon?"

"Fine! But that's it." Answered Remus.

"OK, We'll have my account manager draw up the contract to make it official." Inside, Harry thought. ' _I'll have him word it that Remus will get one galleon a day_.' "Or should we get a solicitor?"

"A solicitor would probably be a good idea." Answered Remus. "You will probably be using them quite a bit if you're going to be doing what I think you'll be doing."

"Yeah. My cousin Andromeda's husband, Ted Tonks is a solicitor and has done well for himself even though he is a muggleborn." Answered Sirius. "His wife, Andromeda, was the one I was going to recommend to be your proxy."

"Why them? And what does being muggleborn have anything to do with it?" asked Harry.

Sirius seemed a little nervous when he answered. "Most of the people in charge at the Ministry are purebloods. To get anything done with their bigoted points of view takes talent, epically by anyone not a pureblood. Ted Tonks has been able to get a lot done, even with the attitudes of the Ministry. Most pureblood members of society will do as much as they can to stop muggleborns from succeeding. Andromeda was thrown out of the Black Family for marrying one."

Harry thought, ' _I wonder if Hermione knows about this. No one says anything about this in school. I don't want to be the one to tell her._ '

Sirius continued. "I recommend Andromeda as your proxy because she did pay attention to all that pureblood nonsense when we were growing up but walked away. She should be able to handle the Wizengamot. Together, you should be covered."

"OK, I trust you Sirius. But I'll want to meet them before I decide anything. Can you contact them? Or should I? Do they know you're innocent?" asked Harry.

"I don't know if they think I'm innocent or not so it probably would be best for you to contact them." Said Sirius. "If you want them and they agree, you can tell Andromeda that the Head of the Black family will re-instate her into the family. She should be smart enough to figure out who the new head is. Even if you don't hire them, tell her I will re-instate her and her daughter. They're the only good Blacks left, other than me of course." Said Sirius.

"Said the wanted criminal." Said Remus.

Harry smiled at this. "I'll send an owl tonight to ask for a meeting. It's getting late. Remus, can you get started in looking for a location for my 'School'? Remember, look for someplace I will want to stay. I'll probably end up using it as a vacation home later."

"I'll get started right away." He answered.

"Thank you. I wanted to show Sirius something in the forest… so I'll see you soon." He hugged Remus again and watched him leave. He thought. ' _Remus still has too much faith in Dumbledore. I don't want to tell him about the Chamber of Secrets yet. Hopefully soon_.' Turning to Sirius, he said. "Where are you hiding out?"

"I was able to put some wards over an abandoned muggle home in Corwen. It is a small muggle town far away from any wizarding settlements. It is pretty safe. Why? You haven't asked before." Said Sirius.

"Well… I would like you close. I know I can mirror call you anytime, but it's not the same." Harry answered, looking a little sheepish.

"Sirius replied. "I want to be close too, but it is dangerous this close to wizards. Even with a glamour charm."

"What if I told you that there is a place close by that no one will find you? Said Harry.

"Where? Your house in Hogsmeade? People know about that, and if Remus is going to be using it, you know the ministry will search it." Said Sirius.

"They can try. I plan on warding it to hell and back. No, I'm talking about… The Chamber of Secrets!" exclaimed Harry.

Sirius was struck silent at this. He finally said. "Didn't you tell me that only a parseltongue can get in the chamber? I don't want to be trapped there. It would feel too much like being back in prison."

"You won't be trapped. I made this." Harry pulled out a small rune stone. "It sends a signal that my snakes can sense. I told them that if they feel the signal that they should open the entrance doors. You can use it to have them let you in or out. I wouldn't use it too often unless you bribe them with a mouse or something. I have fixed up the chamber and it has its own bedroom and fully stocked kitchen. If you don't like the bedroom I can get you a wizards tent or a trunk like my own. As a matter of fact, I'll get you a trunk anyway." Sirius was about to interrupt, but Harry kept going. "I'll also have Dobby and Winky answer your call. They can get you anything you might need. The chamber blocks all magic from being detected when the door is closed, so you won't have to worry about being detected that way. And don't forget about that heated pool I told you about. It's great."

Harry could tell that Sirius was seriously considering it, so he continued. "And I can see you every day."

This had sold it to Sirius. "Show me."


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter Eighteen Fantastic University

This time it was Sirius that followed Harry through the forest. When they arrived at the copse of trees where Harry knew the entrance was, Sirius transformed back into his human form. Harry said. "OK Sirius, here we are."

Sirius looked around. "And Just where are we? I don't see anything but trees."

Harry said. "The entrance is right here. It's… right, hold on a second."

Sirius saw Harry walk toward some trees, and disappear right before his eyes. A few seconds later Harry re-appeared, standing next to a pile of rocks situated between the trees. "What the!"

"Sorry Sirius, I forgot about the Notice –Me-Not. I'll key you in when I reset it so you won't be affected. Here." Harry said handing Sirius a carved rune stone. "This is the stone I told you about. It will call one of the snakes to open the door for you." Sirius took the stone and Harry continued. "All you have to do to activate it is push magic into it, just like with the mirrors.

Sirius did just that and three minutes later a break peered in the pile of rocks and a snake came out and hissed at them, Harry hissed back. Sirius was wondering what was being said. He turned to Harry. "That's it? What's it saying?"

Harry turned back to Sirius and said. "I told you it would be easy. Whenever you want to come in or out, just activate the stone and one of the snakes will open the door. And it's a Her, She asked who you were. I told her you're her new roommate"

"Right pup." said Sirius, looking at the snake cautiously. "Are you sure _she_ won't bite me?"

"Yeah, I talked to all of them earlier and they said they won't bite you. This is Ssssliter, I'll introduce you to the rest once we get inside, that way they can recognize you. They can understand what you're saying so they won't be any bother, they're actually a bunch of pranksters. You'll get along just fine, as long as you don't piss them off that is." Said Harry.

Sirius said. "Yeah I definitely don't want to do that." Sirius followed Harry into the passageway and was impressed by the interior of the chamber.

Harry turned to Sirius. "Nice isn't it? Wait until I show you the main chamber and the heated pool." Harry decided to show Sirius the heated pool first and then show him the main chamber. Harry called Sssloker, Sssslisssser and Ssssliter and introduced them to Sirius. After his first reaction to seeing Ssssliter, Sirius seemed to be fine with the snakes.

Sirius was seriously impressed with the pool and said he was looking forward to relaxing his old bones. Harry said. "I don't want this place smelling like wet dog" Sirius just rolled his eyes. Next Harry took Sirius to the main Chambers of Secrets door, which was closed. He had Sirius activate the stone again just so he would be comfortable with it. This time Sssslisssser opened the door and they entered the main chamber. Harry showed him all the secret rooms and called Dobby and Winky to introduce them to Sirius. He told Winky that Sirius was family and she was to answer whenever he called and do what he said. A tear formed in Sirius's eye at the mentioning of family. They sat in the repaired office and discussed Crouch and Moody's possible personal involvement .Harry pulled out the Marauders Map and showed that indeed Crouch and Moody were in Moody's office.

"I still say that's strange." said Sirius.

"I agree." Answered Harry. "But with Moody's magical eye, I don't want to risk going anywhere near his office.

Sirius had to agree. "OK. I know you told me about the buttons and how snakes are taking care of it, good job by the way, but I had an idea."

"What's that?" Harry asked.

Sirius said, "Well, can you get me a button?"

"Not a problem. I have one around here somewhere." Answered Harry.

"Good, I will make copies and add some special features to it that we can activate later." Sirius said.

What special features?" asked Harry.

"That's a surprise." teased Sirius.

"Come on, tell me." Pleaded Harry.

"Sorry pup." Sirius didn't look the least bit sorry. "You'll love it. I promise. I'll need to borrow your elves to pull off the switch."

"Fine. When do you want to do this?" asked Harry.

"Right before the first task. Have you figured out what it is yet?" inquired Sirius.

"Harry answered. "Not yet. I'm going over all my creature books to prepare, but I'm not sure what one it will be."

"We'll figure it out." Said Sirius. "Now…"

Harry and Sirius talked for another few hours and wrote out the letter to the Tonks. Sirius said he would try to stay in the chamber, and before Harry left he turned back time and rejoined Hermione in Hogsmeade, sending out the letter from there.

Remus took his job of finding a new school seriously. Two days later a package arrived from him and had a list of serval different properties in various tropical locales. The one Harry chose ended up being in Haiti. It was a beachfront property and Harry figured he might as well keep up the apparent Potter tradition; it was a beautiful location and quite secluded. He wrote back to Remus with his choice and told him to go to Gringotts and meet with his account manager Barkaxe to acquire the property. He also wrote a letter to Barkaxe explaining who Remus was and telling him to help purchase the property. It took only three days and Harry was the proud owner of beachfront property in Haiti. Harry was extremely surprised that they were able to purchase it so quickly. It turned out that the property was owned by a wizard and that there is no such thing as escrow in the magical world. You buy something and as soon as the money was paid, it was yours. The property also came with a house elf named Charlie. Harry would let him continue to maintain the property.

The Tonks's had written back agreeing to a meeting the following weekend. Ted Tonks had agreed to meet Harry at the Potters Hogsmeade property. Dobby had reported back to Harry previously that the property had almost no wards. The only ward still active according to Dobby was the "Not magical go away ward." Harry figured this was the muggle repelling ward that almost all magical places had. All the other wards had been broken previously, and that there was spell damage to the house, but it was still in good condition. Dobby said that he had to chase off some wild animals that had made the house their own. Harry found out later that this was the house is grandparents were staying at when they were attacked and killed. Apparently his father never had the place repaired before he was also killed. Dobby started to repair all the damage and Harry had contacted the goblins about re-warding the house. He did not quite feel that he had learned enough to do a proper job himself. Harry had bought the most extensive package of wards the goblins offered and was waiting to visit the house and activate and key himself into the wards, so at this moment the house was still unprotected.

The week passed surprisingly quickly and Harry had spent the early morning hours of the meeting day exploring the house and keying himself as the master of the wards. Dobby had done a good job on the repairs and Harry couldn't spot any of the previous damage or signs that animals had been there. Deciding to hold the meeting in the main sitting room, Harry waited for the Tonks's to arrive. Sirius had decided to stay in the Chamber of Secrets that day in case someone noticed activity in Harrys Hogsmeade house, and investigated. Also in case the Tonks's believed he was guilty.

When the Tonks's arrived, Harry spent about an hour getting to know them before he got down to business. Harry liked them and found out that they believed that Sirius was innocent. Harry told Andromeda that Sirius was going to make her and her daughter a part of the Black family again. She was very happy at this. Harry explained the situation that his name coming out of the goblet meant that he was now emancipated and head of the Potter family. How he represented a fourth school and about his plan to officially set up at school in a foreign country on property he had recently bought so that he will have some legal protection. Also how he wanted Remus to be the Headmaster. He told them that he expected resistance from the Ministry and Dumbledore. They told him they had no problem going against the Ministry, and that they had very little respect for Dumbledore. They saw how Dumbledore had a benevolent appearance but actually didn't do anything. He in fact was more of a hindrance to progress than some of the more vocal pureblood bigots.

Ted agreed to represent Harry and to accompany Remus to inspect the new property and to help acquired the proper licenses from the local government, both magical and muggle, for the school to be official. He also agreed to draw up an employment contract for Remus to become the Headmaster of this new school. Ted and Andromeda laughed when Harry told him to word the contract so Remus would get one galleon a day as his salary, but hide it in the language. They both knew Remus from the olden days and remembered him as a proud man who wouldn't accept what he considered charity. Andromeda had agreed to sit as his proxy on the Wizengamot. Harry had Ted draw up a contract giving Andromeda a salary of 100 galleons a year to be his representative. The contract said she would vote however the head of the Potter family recommend she vote. Ted wrote a contract between himself and Harry and took a retainer of 10,000 galleons for expenses. He said he would leave the next day with Remus to take care of the Haiti business. They talked for a few more minutes and then went their separate ways. Two days later Ted wrote back saying that they were successful and that with some 'donations' to the right people Fantastic University was now a reality.

There was less than one week before the first task and Harry was starting to get desperate. On the Sunday before the first task, construction started on a stadium near the Black lake. Harry had investigated it and followed some of the workers as they made their way into the Forbidden Forest. There he found what he would be facing in the first task.

"Dragons!" Harry shouted as he entered the chamber, startling Sirius. Sirius had decided to set up a wizards tent that Winky bought, outside of the main chamber. He said the inside of the main chamber gave him the creeps. The snakes suddenly appearing and scaring the crap out of him didn't help. Harry agreed that it was creepy, plus this meant that he could still use the main chamber to turn back time. Harry hadn't been able to get a new trunk for him yet and Sirius spent a lot of time in the forest as Padfoot. An interesting side effect of the rune stone that Harry created to summon the snakes was that it also attracted the Unicorns of the forest. They scattered whenever Sirius or the snakes appeared, but always returned.

"What?" asked Sirius, picking himself up off the floor. He had fallen when Harry shouted, surprising him.

"Dragons! The first task is Dragons. What am I going to do?" answered a frantic Harry.

"Calm down Harry, we'll get through this." Said Sirius.

"Easy for you to say. You're safe and sound hiding in this cave and I have to face A DRAGON!" Harry shouted.

Sirius ignored the jab about him hiding. He was. He tried to calm Harry again. "You can do this. The Ministry is bat shit insane but they wouldn't create a task that couldn't be done. Do you know what you have to do with the Dragon?"

Harry did feel a little better and had calmed down a bit. "No. I left to find you as soon as I saw them."

"OK." Sirius said. "The first thing we have to do is some more investigating. Find out which breeds are involved. Second, we have to try to figure out what the first task is and what you have to do to pass it."

"That makes sense" said Harry, almost back to normal.

"OK, show me where you saw the Dragons." Sirius said. He followed Harry into the forest, transforming into Padfoot.

The Dragons turned out to be a Swedish Short Snout, A Common Welch Green, a Chinese Fireball, and a Hungarian Horntail. Harry knew that with his luck he would get the Horntail as his challenge. It was the biggest one and apparently the meanest. Reading about the different breeds later confirmed his suspicion about the Horntail.

Harry and Sirius hung around the Dragon encampment the rest of the day and into the night. They spotted Charlie Weasley and overheard later that night that the first task was getting a false egg from the Dragon. They also spotted Maxime and Karkaroff sneaking around. ' _Great'_ Harry thought. ' _Now Durmstrang and_ _Beauxbatons know what they will be facing. Since were outside the Hogwarts wards, Dumbledore will know that both schools know what the task is. I'd bet a million galleons that he won't share any information with the Hogwarts champion. I better tell Cedric. Freakin Dragons!'_

"Nesting mother Dragons!. I knew the Ministry had their head up their asses, but the person that agreed to have nesting mother's needs to check into the long term care ward at St. Mungo's for utter stupidity." Sirius said when they returned to the safety of the chamber.

"So nesting mothers are…?" asked Harry.

"Dragons are some of the fiercest creatures on the planet. Add to that the desire to protect their unborn young… and you get a creature ten times more frightening." Sirius answered.

Harry gulped. "I'm definitely going to cut off the balls of anyone involved with entering me into this shit storm."

"I'll hold them down for you." Said Sirius. They pulled out all the books Harry had on dragons and got to researching. Remus was still in Haiti, so he couldn't help yet.

On Monday a second year Ravenclaw found Harry studying in the library. Normally he would be in potions class but he hadn't attended one since his name came out of the goblet. The little girl cautiously approached Harry with a note saying he was required for the Weighing of the Wands ceremony. Normally he would ignore any summons he received from the teachers, but since this was a tournament related event he figured he better go. He didn't want to risk losing his magic over something so trivial. He made his way to a unused classroom on the third floor where he found the other three champions waiting. Karkaroff, Maxine and Proffesor Sprout were there for their champions. Ludo Bagman, Barty Crouch, a strange woman and a man with a camera were also already there. "Good!" exclaimed Bagman. "Harry! So good of you to come. This is the Weighing of the Wands ceremony. Soon a Ministry approved wand expert will examine your wands to determine that they're in proper working order. They are your most important tools for this tournament, and we want everybody to start off on the right foot…"  
Harry looked around as Bagman was talking and noted the expressions on most of the other contestant's faces, mostly boredom. The strange woman had a predatory look in her eyes as she stared at Harry as if he was a piece of meat. Harry shuddered involuntarily and looked away. Karkaroff and Maxime we're talking to their champions and Pomona sprout was talking to Cedric. Harry thought. ' _I can't wait until Wednesday night to introduce the new Headmaster of my school. At least I'll have someone to talk too during these boring events_."

Harry tuned back into Bagman who had been talking this entire time. "…and this Harry, is Rita Skeeter She's going to write an article for the Daily Prophet about tournament and the champions. Bagman said jovially, inviting Rita over.  
Rita said. "Maybe more than one article Ludo." She turned her attention to Harry and said. "Harry Potter, the fourth champion. Do you mind if I we have a little chat?" and she grabbed Harry's arm and started to lead him to an empty closet in the classroom.

' _This is the hack that wrote all those articles about the Weasleys and the Ministry. The Ministry I can understand, but I know the Weasleys are good people. Well most of them_.' Harry thought, still pissed at Ron. Harry wasn't going to have anything to do with this woman and he threw himself to the ground as they neared the closet. "Hey! What did you push me for? I didn't do anything to you. I only said I wouldn't show you my meat wand when you asked." Harry said in accusatory and frightened tone of voice. This got everybody's attention in the room and Harry continued. "Do you make it a habit of pushing little boys around?"  
Rita spluttered and Ludo said "Now see here Rita there's no need for violence. What did you do?"

"I didn't do anything. He's lying!" Rita said trying to defend herself.

"What would he lie for? Have you ever met or written about him before?"" asked Crouch.

"I've never seen her before." Harry said in a small voice. Inside he was laughing his ass off.

At this point Dumbledore and Mr. Olivander walked into the room. "What is going on here?" Dumbledore demanded.

She," Harry said pointing at Rita. "pushed me to the ground when I wouldn't answer her question. What is a meat wand anyway?" Harry heard Fleur snort at this.

"Is this true Rita?" asked Dumbledore.

"No! He's making it up. I never asked to see his… wand. And I didn't push him. I was just leading him, he must have tripped." Answered Rita.

"I never agreed to go with her. Right Mr Bagman?" Harry asked.

"Well… you didn't really say you did, as such." Ludo said, looking unsure.

"He never said he wouldn't give an interview." Defended Rita.

"But he never said he would either. Did he?" asked Dumbledore. "There's no way to tell the truth of the situation. Let us get the ceremony on the way."

"Ha ha ha ha ha! Oh, that was a good one." Sirius said later that night. "You know she will cause you problems don't you? She's a vindictive bitch."

"She can try. I found out that I own forty percent of the Daily Prophet. Barkaxe told me that I am the largest individual shareholder. He also told me that my parents were buying up as many shares that they could get their hands on when they were alive. I sent Ted Tonks to deal with the Daily Prophet, I should be fine." Harry said. "I can't wait until Remus gets back to spring the next prank."

"Yeah, he should be back some time tomorrow. I think the Blacks have some shares in the Daily Prophet too, I'll have to check." Sirius said.

Harry said. "Let Ted know, it will probably help. I better go. I have to find Cedric."


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter Nineteen Fourth Schools and First Tasks

The first task was on Thursday and Harry and Sirius spent most of their time trying to come up with a way to get past a Dragon. Harry had also told Hermione, Neville and the twins. Neville and the twins said they would help any way they could and Hermione went straight to the library. None of them came up with anything to help. Remus joined them on the mirrors. "How about if I summon my Firebolt and…" asked Harry.

"And what? Out fly a Dragon? That's just stupid. No. How about…" Sirius responded, they kept going back and forth. Eventually they agreed on a path Harry would try, there was also a back-up plan.

It was now Wednesday, and time to start the ball rolling on the prank. Harry waited for dinner to begin before he entered the Great Hall. He wanted it to be full before he made his entrance. Walking to the teachers table, he was about to make his announcement when Snape said. "What is the meaning of this Potter!?" but Harry just ignored him.

Turning to the students, who were all silent wondering what was going on, he started his announcement. "I want to recognize Cedric Diggory as the true Hogwarts champion!" There were mutterings and scattered applause following this announcement and Harry continued. "Going over the tournament rules, I have discovered something interesting. I am not a Hogwarts champion!" Shocked silence. "According to the rules there is only one champion per school." More mutterings followed this announcement. Harry let it go on for a minute before he continued. So far the teachers were keeping quiet; many had turned to Dumbledore who was keeping quiet so far. "Because of this and the fact that I have to compete… I am considered to be from another school." The noise level in the hall increased at this. "This means that I am no longer a Hogwarts student and now represent my own school!" Dumbledore tried to interrupt at this but Harry just spoke over him. "I will be representing Fantastic University or F.U. for short."

The whole Hall erupted at this last statement; the twins were practically on the floor with laughter. Harry let it build before he interrupted to spring the next surprise. "Since my school needs someone to represent me on the judge's panel, let me introduce my new Headmaster. Some of you may remember him… Remus Lupin!"

Remus entered the hall and made his way toward Harry, the noise level in the hall was extremely high. Harry heard mutterings of, 'last year's defense teacher' and 'the werewolf' and similar exclamations.

Harry didn't turn around but he could guess most of the reactions from the teachers table. Snape would be snarling and furious, Dumbledore would probably be looking disappointed, Moody as normal would be looking paranoid and most of the teachers would just be looking shocked.

Remus made it to the front and nodded to the Headmaster and started to turn around to address the students when he paused, sniffing the air. All of a sudden he whipped out his wand and fired a stunner at Moody, who ducked under the table barely avoiding the spell. An immediate shocked silence enveloped the hall. Most teachers were frozen or started standing up saying things like, 'What is the meaning of this?' Snape just fired a spell that Harry didn't recognize, directly at Lupin. Fortunately Remus was able to put up a shield in time. Harry was wondering what was going on. He was wondering if Lupin had snapped. His curiosity was answered when Lupin yelled. "That's an imposter! I smell Polyjuice and don't recognize his sent! That's not Moody!"

At this point Moody had finished standing back up and he immediately drew his wand and fired a cutting curse at Remus. The shield was still up and it was able to block the curse. Harry turned his wand toward the imposter and was about to fire a bludgeoner when the imposter disappeared by activating a Portkey.  
Chaos erupted in the hall at this point. Most students were frozen in shock but now that the situation seemed to be over they started to freak out. Dumbledore let out a cannon blast with his wand and said in his most commanding voice. "Calm down and return to your seats!" it took a few minutes but everyone seemed to do what the Headmaster said.

Harry turned to the Headmaster and asked. "I thought Portkeys didn't work in Hogwarts Headmaster. How did the imposter Moody have one? And where is the real Moody?" Harry could hear many people talking behind him wondering the same thing. Remus just asked Harry if he was all right.

Dumbledore looked around the hall before he answered. "I do not know where the real Moody is but I did provide, apparently the imposter, with a Portkey when he asked me for one at the beginning of the term. I saw no reason to deny this request."

"And you never suspected that he was an imposter?" asked Harry.

"No, I never suspected. Asking for a Portkey would be something that the real Moody would have done, so I had no suspicions of this action." said Dumbledore.

Remus said, "If we hurry, we can follow and capture the imposter."

"I'm sorry. That is not possible." Replied Dumbledore.

"Why not? Didn't you make the Portkey? Just make another one!" shouted Remus.

"Unfortunately the imposter provided the Portkey. I just authorized its use."

McGonagall took this moment to interrupt. "Argue later. We need to search for the real Moody. He must be in the castle somewhere. The subject has to be alive for Polyjuice to work and the imposter never left the castle." Most agreed with this and Dumbledore dismissed the students. It took a long time to clear the hall and Remus volunteered to help with the search. He pulled Harry aside and they used the Marauders Map to locate Moody.

Searching the impostors office turned up the real Moody locked in a multi compartment trunk that looked like a dungeon. There were also several bottles of Polyjuice potion found in the office. It would take a few days for Moody to completely recover. Fortunately for him he wasn't confined for too long, he was starved and beaten but nothing permanent. His magical eye and leg were gone with the imposter so he had to wait to have a new eye made, he had a spare leg with his other belongings. Moody had many spare wands so he would not have to replace the one that the imposter left with.  
He claimed that it was Barty Crouch Junior who was holding him hostage. A few days later the Minister of Magic arrived to question him and when he told him this, the Minister blew it off saying that he was delusional. Barty Crouch Junior was dead, he died in Azkaban and that Moody's paranoia and confinement and finally snapped his mind and he was imagining things.

At first Harry was confused that he was seeing Crouch's name on the Marauders Map when he first saw both the imposter Moody and Barty Crouch sitting at the teachers table during the welcoming feast and Halloween feast at the same time. He was wondering if maybe a Time Turner was involved. Sirius was able to clear this up by telling Harry that Barty Crouch did have a son named Barty Crouch Junior and that that was the son that he sent to Azkaban and had died, but apparently not. Harry had to laugh along with Sirius when he said "I guess I wasn't the first one to break out of Azkaban.

The Ministry as usual did nothing, even when the next day Barty Crouch Senior didn't show up for the first task and seemed to disappear. Nobody could find him and when they eventually sent someone to look through his house for him. It was reported that it was empty, but all his clothes were still there, and they found his wand snapped in half. Dumbledore as usual didn't do anything either. Harry figured he might, since Moody was apparently a very good friend of his, but he was proven wrong, or right. His opinion of Dumbledore dropped even lower. Moody said he wouldn't be able to teach for at least two months and that Dumbledore would have to get a new DADA teacher.

All this would come out later. That night Harry led Remus to the classroom he had set up previously and mirror called Sirius. Harry still hadn't told Remus about the Chamber of Secrets yet. Harry and Remus decided to stay the night at Harrys Hogsmeade home so they didn't have to face the school or Headmaster yet, also to set Remus up in the house since he would be living there for the rest of the school year. They also finished the preparations for the first task that night.

It was now the day of the first task. Harry skipped all his classes that day. When the tournament was about to start, several problems came up. The first was that Barty Crouch senior didn't show up. The other was that the other judge's didn't want Remus on the panel. Ted Tonks and Remus were able to show that Remus as a Headmaster of a school in the competition was entitled to be on the judges panel. Mr. Crouch's assistant ended up taking Mr. Crouch's place. It was Percy Weasley. A new school flag appeared on the judges table joining the Hogwarts, Durmstrang, and Beauxbatons school flag. It was a red flag with a gold F and U and a gold lion biting a green and silver snake with Snape's head. Remus was able to convince Harry and Sirius to not use a flag with the lion shitting on Snape, barely.

All this went on while Harry was waiting in a tent with the other champion. Everyone was in their own little world either pacing or muttering spells under their breath. Cedric did acknowledge Harry with a simple head nod. Harry had told him about the Dragons two days ago and Cedric thanked him and told Harry that he didn't believe that he entered himself into the tournament. Since this was before the imposter was uncovered, it meant a lot to Harry.

All the judges entered the tent and Harry wondered what Percy was doing with them. Ludo Bagman got everyone's attention. "Gather round, gather round! Now that we all are here you can now find out what challenge you will face." Ludo pulled a pouch from inside his robes. "Each of you will select a model of the…challenge ahead of you. Ladies first."

Fleur reached into the pouch and withdrew a model of a Swedish Short Snout with a number 3 on a tag around its neck. Krum picked a Chinese Fireball with a number 2. Cedric Picked the Common Welch Green with a number 1. Harry picked up the Horntail, saw the number 4and thought. _'Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit! I knew it. Fate hate's me, I just know it. This plan better work._ '

Ludo continued. "Now that you have all selected your Dragons, your task it to collect the Golden Egg from the nest." Harry saw nervous and determined looks on all the champions' faces. He knew that they all knew what the first task was ahead of time. "The numbers on the Dragons signify the order you will compete in. When you hear the cannon blast, you will enter the arena and your time starts. Mr. Diggory, you are first. We will start in ten minutes so you have time to prepare. Good luck to you all!" Bagman tried to get Harry's attention but Harry ignored him. Remus wished him good luck and the judges left the tent.

Harry sat down and started to center himself. The cannon blast startled him and he wished Cedric good luck before he left. The tent must have been silenced because he couldn't hear the crowd outside. It was twenty five minutes before the next anon blast was heard and Krum left the tent. This left Harry alone with Fleur Delacour. He was still a little pissed at her for her comment she made the night his name came out of the Goblet of Fire. She was looking extremely nervous at this time, he almost felt sorry for her. Twenty minutes later it was her turn.

Thirty five minutes later Harry heard a cannon blast and made his way out to the arena. As soon as he passed the tent flap a wall of sound assaulted his ears. The crowd was cheering and booing in an almost equal measure, Harry thought. ' _That's a little disappointing. I thought more people would have changed their minds after the imposter was discovered. Well… time to put on a show_.' Harry stepped forward, spotting the Horntail on the other side of the arena. It was midnight black and was eyeing him. It let out a roar that shook the stadium and let loose a stream of fire that luckily was over twenty feet away from him. He still felt the heat. Harry raised his wand and shouted. "Accio backpack!" instead of pointing his wand at the Dragon, he pointed to the audience. A backpack zoomed into his hand from one of the twins. He had them bring the backpack into the stadium and sit in the front row. They were glad they could help.

From the backpack he pulled out a pouch and a slingshot. Inside the pouch there were pellets filled with a concentrated sleeping potion especially made for Dragons. Harry took aim and fired when the Dragon opened its mouth. His first shot missed and Harry was glad that he had prepared many doses for this situation. The Second shot was successful in entering the Dragons mouth. Harry transfigured a pile of rocks into a chair and waited away from the reach of the Horntails flames. About three minutes later the Horntails eye's began to droop. Two minutes later the dragon was sound asleep. Harry casually walked to the nest and collected the egg. He walked back towards his backpack and stopped. He reached in and pulled out a box and a Gramophone. Music starts to play and some of the muggleborns recognized Queen's We are the Champions. Harry kicked off the top of the box and fireworks went off.

This was the signal that set off Sirius's prank. All the Potter Stinks buttons changed to say F.U. Sirius had Dobby and Winky switch all the buttons early that morning. They had a permanent sticking charm and a shock charm that went off whenever someone touched it. The buttons also were charmed to not react to a finite or a vanishing spell. Many angry shouts joined the applause from the crowd.

Harry didn't wait for his score and entered the healers tent that was the exit from the arena. He saw the Dragon handlers enter the arena looking shocked before he left. Madam Pomfrey insisted on checking him out even though he insisted on not even getting close to the Dragon. A few minutes later she let him go. Harry saw Fleur on a bed with a lightly burned leg and a singed skirt, Cedric had an orange paste on half his face and upper body in another bed. Krum was nowhere to be seen. Hermione, Neville and the twins entered the tent and made their way to Harry.

Hermione hugged Harry in one of her bone crushing hugs and said. "You did it Harry! I was so worried. That was a very smart solution you came up with. The song and the fireworks were a bit much. How did you come up with that? Why didn't you come to me for help? I would have helped you , you know."

Harry interrupted her tirade. "Hermione, HERMIONE! Slow down. I know you would have helped but there was no time. Don't worry, you did help with your research. I was able to get…Snuffles to help me with the task. He has more experience with these things."

That would explain the fireworks. Did he do the buttons too? I thought it might be the twins. Hermione said.

The Twins spoke. "That wasn't us…"

"…We were wondering…"

"…Who came up with the buttons?"

"They are great…"

"…We want some…"

"…that don't shock us of course."

". Did you make them Harrikins?" They both asked at the same time.

"No, but they were made by someone you have heard of before." Harry teased.

"Who?" They both said together.

"He goes by Snuffles aka Padfoot." Harry said.

No…"

"…way!"

"Yup. If you're good I'll introduce him and Mooney to you guys later," Said Harry.

The twins dropped to their knees and chanted. "Were not worthy, were not worthy."

Harry just smiled and helped them back up to their feet. Neville had been quiet so far, looking back at the entrance to the tent. Harry followed his line of sight and saw what Neville was looking at. Ron was at the mouth of the tent and nervously looking at the group. As soon as Ron saw Harry looking at him, he entered and headed straight for him. In a small voice he said. "So Harry, I guess you didn't put your name into the goblet. Sorry I didn't believe you. Mate's again?"

After a minute of Harry staring at Ron, Harry answered. "No."

A shocked and angry Ron replied. "What do you mean no? I apologized! You have to be my friend again."

"Why do I have to be your friend again? Sure you just apologized, but you didn't really mean it. A friend is someone who sticks with the other person, no matter what." Harry said back.

"I helped you with the Philosophers Stone and the Chamber of Secrets. You wouldn't have a way to get away from those muggles if I didn't invite you to stay with me. You know about how to be a wizard because of me. You OWE ME!" Ron ended up shouting at the end.

Harry was angry at this point. "You did one thing during the Philosophers Stone. Hermione figured out everything else. You were trapped behind the cave in in the Chamber of Secrets. Your wand is the only thing that did anything. And what do you mean you taught me how to be a wizard. What have you done to 'teach' me? How could I possibly owe you anything?"

Twin one who Harry thought was George said. "Dumbledore asked mom to invite Harry over the summer. We overheard them talking one night. It was also our idea to take the car to rescue Harry in his second year. You fought us and only agreed to come when we threatened you."

"Is that true?" Hermione asked.

"So what if it is mudblood." Spat Ron. Hermione started to cry and surprisingly it was Neville who acted first. He was standing the closest to Ron and he punched him, breaking his nose.

The twins were close behind, they grabbed Ron under each arm and threw him out of the tent. They came back and joined in comforting Hermione. "We are so sorry for our idiot brother." Said George.

"We think he was adopted." Said Fred.

"Why? Why was he like that. He… he called me a mudblood. He tried to curse Malfoy when he called me that. How could he?" Hermione said through tears.

"I don't know Hermione. I've noticed his attitude before but didn't think it was that bad. I'm sorry you had to go through that. I'll always be there for you." Said Harry.

"Me too." Said Neville.

Harry turned to him. "Nice punch Nev. Knew you always had it in you. You and Hermione should exchange notes some time. She punched Draco last year."

"Really?" asked Neville. Hermione had a small smile appear on face at this memory.

Harry answered for her. "Yup. His nose didn't bleed as much though." Harry saw that Hermione was starting to feel better. He turned to the twins and asked. "How about you guys?"

Probably Fred said. "We're with you Harry."

"As far as Ron is concerned…"

"…he abandoned his right… "

"…to be our brother…"

"…once he said the M word." Finished Fred.

Harry replied, "Thanks you two. Does anyone know how I scored?"


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter Twenty After the First Task

Harry scored a 44 out of 60. Dumbledore gave him a 9, Bagman gave him a 10, Percy gave him a 5, Maxime gave him a 8, Karkaroff gave him a 3, and Remus gave him a 9. Remus explained that the nine was because he missed with the first shot. When they discovered earlier that the points didn't determine who won the tournament, Harry told Remus to have fun with the points. Remus being who he is couldn't bring himself to be to outrageous. Percy Weasley claimed that he cheated when he summoned the bag from the audience and deducted points accordingly. Karkaroff gave no justification.

Remus met Harry outside of the hospital tent after the first task. They had agreed ahead of time to meet and leave the school grounds, Harry promised Remus that he would explain his problem with the Headmaster after the task was complete, and didn't want to meet with Dumbledore before he could talk to Remus. They were able to sneak out with the crowd; the buttons were causing quite a scene and made sneaking out easier. As soon as they were past the Hogwarts wards Harry checked himself then Remus for tracking spells. He found one on Remus and transferred it to a passing witch. _'Let them follow her for a while._ ' He thought. Remus was surprised that he was being tracked and wondered who did it and when it happened.

Remus and Harry made their way to the cave that they met at with Sirius before. Sirius only agreed to meet them there and not go to the first task because Harry showed him the pensive he bought and promised, along with Remus, to show him the memory of the event. Remus had also promised Harry that he would show him the other champions tasks.

Sirius met them at the mouth of the cave and said. "Come on, come on, How'd it go? Did it work? Of course it worked. Show me!"

Harry said. "Get inside Sirius. Let me set up my rune stones and then we can talk." Sirius and Remus entered the cave and Harry set about placing the stones. As Harry finished activating the stones in the cave he turned to the Marauders and continued. "It would be easier to just show you." Harry went to the pensive and placed his memory of his task into it.

Sirius didn't wait and immediately placed his head into the Pensive. He came out ten minutes later laughing. "It worked perfectly! The music and fireworks were perfect. Nice choice of song by the way. Did you see the expression on the faces when the buttons activated? Priceless. I am a genius!"

Yeah, a regular Einstein." Snarked Harry.

" Who?" asked Sirius.

"A muggle inventor… never mind." Said Remus. "You did really well Harry. I was so proud."

"Only a nine proud?" Harry teased.

"You only gave him a nine!? He deserved a 12 at least!" Shouted Sirius.

"He missed." Was all Remus said.

"Whatever. What were the other scores?" asked Sirius.

Remus answered. "Harry got a total of 44, Cedric scored 40, he tied with Fleur Delacour. Krum won with a score of 45. Do you want to see their tasks now?" Both Sirius and Harry said yes so Remus put his memories of the event into the Pensive, Harry asked him to put the memory of the argument at the judges table in also.

Over an hour later all three emerged and started to talk. "They didn't do too bad, A shame about the eggs Krum smashed. The pretty boy wasn't as pretty after his Dragon. Is that Fleur girl a Veela?" asked Sirius.

"Yeah, during the weighing of the wands she said that the Veela hair in her wand was her grandmothers. Cedric is an OK bloke, don't make too much fun of him. It looked like he was really hurting." Answered Harry.

"I knew she was too hot to be a normal girl." Said Sirius.

"She's half your age. "Retorted Remus.

"So. She's still hot." Sirius defended.

"Now that you have that out of your system did you notice the judges table during my task?" asked Harry. Both said no and Harry continued. "Watch my task again and then we'll talk.

Sirus and Remus re-entered the Pensive and emerged ten minutes later. Sirius was the first to speak. "That sneaky bastard!"

"So you saw what I saw?" Asked Harry.

"Dumbledore sent a tracking spell at Remus during your task." Answered Sirius.

Remus was still quiet, deep in thought. He finally spoke. "I can't believe Dumbledore would do that."

"Harry replied. " That is just the tip of the iceberg on the thing that I have discovered that Dumbledore has done, and not done. First off, do you know Oclumancy?"

"As a werewolf I have natural Oclumancy defenses, I can't perform Legilamancy though." Answered Remus.

Harry and Sirius spent the next few hours telling Remus what they had discovered about Dumbledore. From the fact Dumbledore hasn't told Harry anything about his family legacy, to the discovery of the soul piece in Harry scar. How the wards would tell Dumbledore who entered Hogwarts so that Dumbledore knew that Sirius was entering the school last year. This brought up the question of if Dumbledore knew that Wormtail was in the school since Percy was in school. Also if he knew that Moody was an imposter. Remus was able to rationalize that maybe with so many people arriving at the same time that Dumbledore might not have noticed, Harry and Sirius just let that question go. There was still more to tell. Harry told Remus about his misadventure with the Philophers Stone and the Chamber of Secrets. Remus was there last year so he didn't have to explain that year. Harry explained more about the soul piece that was removed and explained what a Horcrux was. He explained that Voldemort had created several and that the goblins were working on a way to track them down. Harry explained that the Diary he destroyed in his second year was a Horcrux and that Dumbledore would have to know what it meant and still did nothing. He finished by telling Remus about his time growing up at the Dursleys and that Dumbledore made himself his magical guardian and left him there after sealing up his parents will. Sirius had to step away when Harry was detailing his time at the Dursley's and Harry thought. " _I bet the Dursleys are going to be paid a visit in the near future_.' Harry felt that Remus would probably join him after he finished talking. Harry had called Dobby during the discussion and had him bring dinner for them all.

"That's unbelievable." Stated Remus.

"It's all true." Harry defended, sounding a little hurt.

Remus saw this and said. "Oh I believe you. I just didn't think that Dumbledore would be like that. He must have a reason,"

Sirius cut him off, "I doesn't matter his reason! Look at what he's put Harry through."

Remus looked a little ashamed. "You're right. I can't think of anything that would justify putting a child through that, even Voldemort still being around. OK Harry what do you want to do now?"

"Well…" Harry explained his goal for the rest of the year.

Harry decided to bring Remus into the secret about the Chamber of Secrets. He and Sirius led Remus to the tunnel entrance and suddenly disappeared. Remus got over his shock quickly and sniffed the air. "I know you're still there."

Harry and Sirius suddenly appeared, Harry deactivating the rune stones. Harry thought _. 'I'll have to look up a rune to cancel smells_.' Out loud he said. "Welcome to the secret entrance to the Chamber of Secrets! He pointed to a pile of rocks.

Remus looked at the pile and said sarcastically. "Impressive." Harry hissed and a crack formed in the rocks. This did actually impress Remus. Sirius looked smug. Remus followed Harry in.

Harry showed Remus the whole chamber. Remus was impressed with the heated pool and was floored with the main chamber. Harry showed him all the secret rooms and explained where the pipes led to into the castle. Harry offered to let Mooney transform in the chamber saying it was very secure. Harry had previously offered Remus the basement of his Hogsmeade property that he had the goblins enlarge and secure when he had them install the wards. Remus said he would let him know later, he still had until the 18th of the next month to decide. Harry had already talked Remus into accepting the Wolfsbane potion from him.

Remus was being a little twitchy at the end of the discussion. He would constantly look around and sniff the air. The reason became apparent when Sssloker, Sssslisssser and Ssssliter suddenly appeared. Remus and Sirius jumped about ten feet in the air, and Remus drew his wand. Harry was able to stop him from firing a curse at the snakes. "Wait! These are my friends."

"Damn snakes." Was all Sirius said.

Harry introduced Remus to the snakes and told him how they were helping him explore the castle and prank the students with the buttons. Remus was still a little on edge but accepted all three of the snakes. Harry also showed Remus and Sirius a discovery he had made while he was experimenting with the communication mirrors. He had discovered a way to make one mirror broadcast picture and sound to another mirror but not receive any picture or sound back. Harry said that he wanted to place these mirrors under a disillusionment charm all over the castle to keep a watch on what was going on. The reason he hasn't done this already is because of Moody's eye. Harry suspected that Dumbledore might be able to see through disillusionment charms also, but Harry noticed that he didn't go to many places in the castle, mostly the kitchens and the Great Hall. The placement of the mirrors would be very important. Harry thought that if he placed most on the ceilings that they should be safe.

Sirius thought that this was a great idea and said he would help make them with Harry. Remus was a little more hesitant, but agreed that they would be useful. They decided that the elves would place the mirrors all over the castle at points they specified. Remus pointed out that not all of them would have to be disillusioned.

Harry showed Sirius and Remus how to make the mirrors and then went and converted the secret bedroom into a room to set up all the mirror pairs. Harry renamed the room 'the security office'. Remus and Sirius had decided to sleep in the chamber in Sirius's tent that night. Harry slept in his trunk that he had Sirius hold for him as he completed the first task. It was past 3 am and Harry was asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. Harry and Remus knew that they would have to deal with Dumbledore tomorrow.

Harry awoke late the next morning to a huge breakfast provided by both Winky and Dobby. Harry and Remus discussed the game plan for facing Dumbledore, and they both agreed that having Ted Tonks join them would probably be best. Harry sent Dobby with a note to Ted to meet them at the Hogwarts entrance gate to join in the meeting at noon. Ted was waiting for them when they arrived and followed them on to the Hogwarts grounds. Harry had a little smirk and sent a knowing look at Remus when he spotted McGonagall waiting for them at the entrance to the castle.

"Dumbledore would like to see all of you in his office right away." McGonagall said, shooting a dirty look at Harry. Harry just smiled innocently at her and followed when she turned around. The walk to Dumbledore's office was made in silence. Remus had to stop Harry from sending a spell at McGonagalls back. Harry wasn't going to really curse her, he just wanted to have a little fun with Remus. "Ice Mice." McGonagall said when they reached the office and the gargoyle slid aside. McGonagall nodded to Remus and Ted, ignored Harry, and walked off.

Harry had told Remus about the wards on Dumbledore's stair case so he wasn't surprised when he heard a "Come in." before anyone had a chance to knock. "Harry, my boy," Dumbledore started to say with a grandfatherly smile.

Harry cut him off. "That's Lord Potter to you… Albus." The smile disappeared and Harry knew that Dumbledore was hoping that he hadn't figured that out. Harry continued talking making his way towards Fawkes. "How are you doing Fawkes? Good I hope." Fawkes let out a soothing trill. "Good, good."

Remus spoke up. "You wanted to see us Dumbledore? I assume it is about accommodations for Harry and I, as we are now considered a fourth school?"

"Yes, about that, "Dumbledore said, focusing on Remus now. "I was hoping that Harry would stay in the Gryffindor dorms with his year mates. I don't want to cause him too many distractions."

Ted interrupted at this point. "Excuse me Headmaster, but the contract for the tournament clearly states that the hosting school will provide living chambers for any visiting school or allow them to set up their own on the school grounds. It wouldn't be proper for Lord Potter to stay in an existing school dorm now that he is no longer a Hogwarts student."

"I just thought…" Dumbledore started to say before he was cut off by Ted Tonks.

"It doesn't matter what you thought. You will provide acceptable accommodations for Mr. Potter and Mr. Lupin, or you risk violating the contract. They are also allowed unrestricted access to the library and any class they wish to audit. You are also required to provide at least two meals a day for any visiting school. It is all in the contract you helped create to get the Tri Wizard Tournament here at Hogwarts. Or did you not read what you agreed to?" asked Ted. Harry was having fun watching Dumbledore squirm.

Dumbledore turned to Harry and asked. "Don't you want to stay with your friends?"

Harry, still petting Fawkes answered over his shoulder, "Not Really."

Remus got Dumbledore's attention when he said. "I have made other sleeping arrangements so I will not need a room to sleep. I will be spending most of the day with Harry, helping him train though."

Dumbledore thought he spotted an opportunity with this statement. "You know you are not supposed to help the champion with the tasks."

"I am just helping Harry further his education. I haven't told him about any of the tasks. You haven't informed me about any of them yet. Even though I am a judge." Replied Remus.

Ted spoke up. "There is nothing in the rules that states that a Headmaster can't help their champion Dumbledore."

Dumbledore didn't argue the point and changed topic. "Where did you go when you left the Hogwarts grounds yesterday?"

Ted beat Harry to respond. "That is also none of your business Headmaster. Harry Potter is no longer one of your students."

Dumbledore started to say. "As his magical guard…"

This time Harry responded first. "But you aren't my magical guardian. I became emancipated when my name came out of the goblet and you know that. Don't try that shit with me. You never were meant to be my magical guardian either. Isn't it funny how you sealed my parents will and declared yourself my magical guardian the same day my parents died? Sirius wasn't even arrested yet and thrown into Azkaban without a trial and you had already decided my fate. Is that why Sirius never got a trial Albus?" Harry spat at Dumbledore.

Dumbledore had a defeated look on his face and he said under his breath. "All I ever did was for the Greater Good."

"Who's?" snarled Harry. He turned to Ted and Remus. "You finish making the arrangements. I can't stand to be in here any longer." Harry left the office and thought as he walked down the hallway. _'I don't think I can come back here next year. Maybe F.U. will become a real school after all.'_

Harry made his way down to the Great Hall where he caught the tail end of lunch. He was going to talk to Hermione and Neville for a little while but they had to go to class. Hermione asked' "Aren't you coming Harry. I know you skip potions." She looked at Harry disapprovingly at this. "But you still go to your other classes."

Harry responded. "I don't have to go to any more classes now that I am officially from a fourth school." Harry saw the disapproving look start to form again and continued. "Don't worry. I will still continue my education. But I have a lot of things I have to do today. Hurry or you'll be late to class." Hermione got a worried look and rushed out of the hall. Neville followed her and waved bye to Harry.

Remus and Ted joined Harry about fifteen minutes later and Ted excused himself and left. Remus told Harry what happened after he left Dumbledore's office and said that they would have a room ready in a few hours. Harry knew that he would have to thoroughly check the room for listening and other spells. Harry led Remus to his pre-warded room and mirror called Sirius and filled him in on what happened. Sirius said that he had completed ten mirrors so far and had Dobby and Winky place them in a few key places. He was going to be making a lot more. Harry told Sirius that he had to be seen throughout the day but that he will sneak down to the chamber to see him later that night.

A few hours later an elf popped up while Harry and Remus were in the library. Harry immediately went to the restricted section when he first got there. Madame Pince didn't look happy but didn't say anything. The elf introduced herself as Blondie and told Harry and Remus to follow her to Harry's new living quarters. It turned out to be a two bedroom suite that had its own bathroom with a tub and shower. There was a main sitting area with its own fireplace. Harry thought it looked like a miniature common room. There was no kitchen area but Harry figured he had his trunk if push came to shove. In the bedroom he found his school trunk that he kept in the dorm waiting for him. He thought to himself. ' _OK first thing I have to do is check this place over for spells. I better check my stuff too. I better get rid of that portrait I saw in the sitting room. Fortunately I don't have a portrait as the door guard._ ' Harry asked Blondie, who was still hanging around making sure that the room as satisfactory, to remove the portrait of a girl in a pink dress swinging from a tree branch. The portrait complained about being removed but Blondie did what Harry asked. Harry told Remus that he was going to check the place over and Remus asked if he could help. Harry told him that he wanted to do it himself as practice, but that Remus could check it over when he was done. Remus said he would see Harry tomorrow and left.

Harry spent a few hours examining the rooms and found several listening devices. He debated in leaving them where they were and calling the DMLE and reporting them. It was illegal to spy on a Lord after all. He decided that Dumbledore would just claim that they were there before and that he had no clue who put them there. Harry removed all the listening charms but one. He transferred it to a roll of toilet paper and had Dobby put it in the Slytherins bathroom. Harry had discovered a sneaky pattern to Dumbledore's placement of the listening charms. There was one in each room that was semi obvious, and then there was one that was extremely well hidden. Harry figured that Dumbledore thought that people would stop looking once they found one and overlook the second. Harry went over the whole suite again just to be on the safe side. He also found tracking charms on all the clothes that were in his school trunk. ' _Definitely not coming back next year if Dumbledore is here._ ' He thought. He spent the rest of the time adding his favorite set of wards to the suite, He also added an intruder ward to the door that would stun anyone who crossed it who wasn't authorized. He also placed one of his mirrors outside the suite so he could see who was outside his door. Harry turned back time and went to see Sirius.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter Twenty One Luna Lovegood

It was Saturday and Harry was searching the Marauders Map for Hermione, Neville and the twins. Remus had arrived in the suite around ten am and checked all the rooms. He couldn't find any listening charms and congratulated Harry on a job well done. They had talked and agreed that Harry should include his friends in some of their plans. Harry found Hermione in the library even though it was the weekend. Neville was in the greenhouses and the twins were in the kitchens. While Harry was searching the map he saw Ron all alone in the Gryffindor fourth year dorm.

Remus collected Hermione and Harry went to get Neville. He sent Dobby to get the twins. They all met up in the suite and as usual Hermione was the first to speak. "What's going on Harry? What's this nonsense of you being from a fourth school? Is it a real school or just a joke? How did you get Professor Lupin involved? Why are you…"

Harry let this go on for as long as he could. He was planning to answer most of these questions so he stopped her by sending a silencing spell at her. Her mouth kept moving for another minute before she noticed. She immediately pulled her wand and tried to curse him, but with being silenced, nothing happened. She crossed her arms over her chest and let out a silent huff. The twins were laughing and Neville's mouth twitched. "Hermione, I brought all of you here to answer any questions I can. Give me a chance to speak. Now, are you going to let me talk?" Harry asked. Hermione nodded even though she didn't look happy. "Good." Harry canceled the silencing spell.

"I can't believe you would do that to me Harry!" Hermione shouted.

Harry just raised his wand and said. "I'll do it again if you don't calm down." Hermione was silent. "Now let me tell you some facts. First, like I said in the Great Hall a few days ago, with my name coming out of the goblet I am now a part of a fourth school. I knew that this would cause problems so I hired a solicitor and he set up a school in Haiti. It is all official and everything. I hired Remus to be the Headmaster to represent me on the judge's panel."

"So it's a real school?" asked one of the twins.

"Yup. I even have school grounds. I haven't seen them yet, but I have them." Said Harry.

"Cool. Can..."

"… we join?" finished twin two.

Remus answered. "I don't think your mother would be too happy with that." Both twins shuddered thinking about her reaction.

Neville asked. "Is Dumbledore going to let you be a part of the new school?"

"He can't do anything about it. The Goblet of Fire is a binding magical contract." Harry answered.

"But Harry, you're only 14. How can you have your own school?" asked Hermione.

"That brings me to my second fact. The way the contract was worded states that only of age wizards and witches could compete. So with me being forced to compete…" Harry let the statement hang.

Hermione was the first to put it together. 'You're an adult!"

"Well, I am considered one. Don't know how much of an adult I act." Harry said proudly.

"You're an adult?"

Can you do anything an adult wizard can?"

"Can you leave school?"

"Can you buy Firewhisky?"

"Can you buy us Firewhisky?" the twins asked together.

"Yes, yes, yes, probably, and no." Harry replied.

"Why not!" They both said at the same time.

Harry just ignored them. "I had it confirmed by the goblins and my solicitor. I am now a legal adult in the wizarding world. I have access to all the Potter vaults and can own my own school legally."

Hermione was silent and Neville asked. "Are you going to leave Hogwarts?"

Harry was silent at this. Finally he said. "I have the option…but I have no plans to at this moment."

Hermione gave Harry a hug. "Please don't leave." There was concern in her voice.

Harry patted her on her head. "Like I said, I don't have any plans to leave. But I can't promise. There are many things going on that will determine my future. First of all getting through this tournament in one piece."

"I'll do anything I can to help you." Hermione said. There was a wetness to her eyes. "After Ron said… I don't have many friends here and can't lose another."

Harry looked her directly in the eye. "Hermione, I am your friend and always will be. You will always be able to count on that."

Neville said to Hermione. "I'm your friend too." The twins nodded along with this sentiment.

Remus spoke up at this point. "There is a lot to do. Hermione, Harry told me he gave you a book on Oclumancy. Have you learned anything from it yet?"

"I think so. I haven't had a chance to test it yet." Hermione answered.

"I can't test you but I can arrange for Padfoot to test you if you like." Remus said.

The twins perked up at the name and Hermione said. "Siri… Padfoot is in hiding. How can he test me?"

Harry answered. "He's closer that you might think. It won't be too hard to arrange it."

"Harry! He needs to stay safe. He can't be near here or he could get caught." Hermione said.

"He's perfectly safe. "Harry answered. "Don't worry."

There was a conversation going on between the twins. " Siri…Padfoot…caught…PADFOOT IS SIRIUS BLACK!" they yelled.

Harry and Remus flinched. "Damn!" they both said together.

The Twins continued. "That would make…"

"… You Moony. Wouldn't it?" They both dropped to their knees and said together. "Teach us O' great one."

Harry said. "You weren't supposed to know that yet. Do either of you know Oclumancy? If not we have a problem." Harry looked at Neville. "Neville, mate. Are you alright? Let me explain. Sirius Black never betrayed my parents. He was framed by someone else"

Neville was quiet and Hermione spoke up. "It's true Neville. I heard he person who actually betrayed Harry parents confess. Black never was a Death Eater."

"OK…I'll trust you. And I do know Oclumancy so you don't have to worry. As an Heir to a noble house I was trained in it since I was young. It was the only thjng my Gran was proud of me for."

The twins spoke up. "We know Oclumancy too."

"We learned.."

"… When we figured out…"

"…that Snape and Dumbledore…"

"…could read our thoughts."

"It is a must for…"

"…any prankster." Finished, probably George.

"That's good. Here Hermione." Harry took off the Legilamncy protection necklace and handed it to her. He had his Oclumancy shields tested by Sirius and found that they were a little weak but would hold up to a basic scan. "This necklace will let you know when someone tries to read your thoughts. It doesn't provide a lot of protection but it provides some warning. If you feel it warm up, it means someone is trying to read your mind. Immediately break eye contact. Use it until you get your Oclumancy checked."

"Where did you get it?" Asked Hermione, taking the necklace.

I'll tell you, I'll tell you all if you want to know. I need to know if you will keep my secrets. If you feel you can't you should probably leave now." Harry said to the group.

"Were in." Said the twins.

Neville said. "I won't tell anyone."

Hermione said. "I have so far."

Harry asked. "Even if it means going against Dumbledore or the teachers?"

Hermione looked uncertain for a moment and then a determined look crossed her face. "I'm with you."

"Thank you." Harry said. "Let me start at the beginning…"

They talked for several hours with Harry explaining sneaking into Diagon Alley and getting training with the goblins. He left out his Sam Underhill identity, the Time Turner and the Horcrux's. He didn't want to freak them out with that particular fact, he wanted to keep Sam a secret just in case, and he didn't trust the twins with the Time Turner. He was able to convince Neville and the twins that Voldermort was still alive, but weakened. That Dumbledore knew and also that he knew Sirius was innocent and didn't do anything. He explained about Pettigrew being Scabbers and the twins shuddered. Neville joined them realizing that he shared a dorm room with the traitor. Hermione got a little upset when Harry called Dobby to bring them lunch. He was able to calm her down by reminding her that without a bond the elf would die. She was happy that Winky got bonded. They all left the room promising to help in any way they could.

Life returned to a semblance or normality. Barkaxe sent a note that said that the detector would be complete on the 2nd and that a team of cursebreakers would be looking for the 'object' and he would appreciate a meeting in eight days to discuss how to proceed from here. Also that the cloaks were ready. Harry knew that the meeting was more of a demand than a request but didn't mind. That's just how goblins were. He would be there in eight days.

Ted sent him a letter saying that the Ministry was contesting his emancipation and that there was an emergency meeting of the Wizengamot scheduled in two week. Bureaucracy moved slowly, even in the magical world. He told Harry that Dumbledore was the one to call the meeting. He promised to collect Harry for the meeting and for him to be ready early. He told him about the Ministry's habit of changing meeting times without notification to make the other party look bad. Harry promised to be ready. He would make it a point to purchase dress robes.

Over this time He and Sirius had made several more mirrors and distributed them around the castle. Harry had made one specifically for Moaning Myrtles Bathroom to watch over the secret entrance.. Somehow Sirius was able to convince Dobby to put one in the Prefects bathroom. Harry complained about it but didn't ask Dobby to take it down. He was a male after all.

A wierd thing was happening with the mirrors though. That strange Lovegood girl always seemed to wave whenever she passed a mirror, whether it was disillusioned or not. Harry checked the mirrors and found nothing wrong with them. Harry was getting more and more curious.

Harry decided to put his effort into solving the egg clue. When he opened it, it shrieked so loud he had to cover his ears. Remus, with his enhanced hearing dropped to the ground in pain. "Close it, close it!" He yelled. Harry tried everything he knew to examine it without opening it again. All the carvings on the outside were just decorative.

He decided to use the Room of Requirement to help him figure it out. Pacing back and forth three times he thought. ' _I need a room to help solve the eggs clue, I need a room to help solve the eggs clue, I need a room to help solve the eggs clue.'_ When he entered the room he was surprised to find the same heated pool that was in the chamber. Harry was surprised and confused. He shrugged and stripped off his clothes and entered the pool with the egg. He examined the outside of the egg and discovered nothing new. He opened the egg above the water and it started screeching again. Harry dropped the egg and the shrieking stopped. He ducked his head under the water and heard singing. "Come seek us where our voices sound. We…"

After listening to the message several times Harry felt that he had it memorized. He believed that it meant that he had to find something in the Black Lake. The bit about something he would miss and that he only had an hour worried him. ' _What would I miss? And how am I going to stay underwater for an hour? Maybe Sirius or Remus will know._ ' He thought.

As he was leaving the Room of Requirement he was startled by a feminine voice. "Hello Harry Potter." Harry turned around and saw Luna Lovegood twirling around, dancing to non-existent music barefooted.

It took a few moments for Harry to recover his bearings. "Hel, hello. You're Luna Lovegood aren't you? What are you doing here?"

"Am I? Yes I am Luna Lovegood. Or at least I believe I am. Do you believe I am Luna Lovegood?" She replied in a dreamy voice.

"Yes?" Harry answered unsure of himself.

"That's good. I like being Luna Lovegood." She said.

"Right." Harry said. "What are you doing here? You're a Ravenclaw right? Their dorms are in another tower."

"I don't like my dorm. Too many Nargles. They keep hiding my things. I like it here The Wrackspurts seem to avoid this hall for some reason." She said in her dreamy voice.

' _What are Nargles and Wrackspurts?'_ Harry thought. "Did the Nargles take your shoes and socks?"

"Yes they did. I went to sleep one night and when I awoke they were missing. So were some of my clothes and books. I was upset when they took my picture of my mother. It will come back though. It always does." Luna said regaining her cheerful demeanor. "My roommates all seem to be infested with Wrackspurts. They seem to forget that I am their roommate and often leave me outside the dorm at night." Harry still had no clue what Nargles or Wrackspurts were, but he was starting to suspect that they were excuses that Luna made up to overlook the bulling that she was going through. Before he could ask Luna about this she spoke again. "Is that a Pool?"

Harry was standing in the doorway of the Room of Requirement and Luna was looking behind him at the heated pool he had just used. Luna just said. "Yah!" and pushed past Harry and started to remove her clothes. Harry was frozen in shock and before he could say anything Luna was completely naked. She didn't have on a bra or panties and just jumped in the pool. "Oooh, warm." She said as she surfaced. She started to float on top of the water exposing herself to Harry and asked. "Did you make this pool? I like it."

Harry covered his eyes and reentered the room. He didn't want anyone else to catch them. He didn't know how to explain him being with a naked girl. "Um… Luna. Wouldn't you be more comfortable with a swim suit or something?" He stammered, trying his best to not look at the exposed flesh right in front of him. He was only partially successful.

"Why would I want a swim suit? I am in my swim suit." Harry didn't know how to respond to this and Luna continued. "Thank you for making this pool. It is nice to feel warm again."

Harry couldn't help himself. "You're welcome. If you want I can help you search for your things?"

"That's Ok Harry Potter. They always come back. You have enough to do with getting ready for the Black Lake." Luna responded, diving back under the water.

"How!?" Harry chocked out. "How did you know that I have to go into the Black Lake?" Luna just shrugged. "Well… I better go. Do you need anything before I leave?" He asked Luna. This girl was an even bigger mystery after he met her.

"No thank you Harry Potter. Say hi to Stubby Boardman and don't let the Wrackspurts get you." Luna said.

"I'll try to avoid them." He replied then left the room. Making it back to his suite, Harry thought. ' _That was insane! What a weird girl. I can't believe she got naked in front of me. She didn't look too bad. NO! Bad thoughts. I'm only 14, too young to think like that. She did look good though. Damn. What am I going to do? It's obvious that she is being bullied but she's in Ravenclaw and I can't do anything in their dorms. She seems to be able to see through Disillusionment spells and could see the snakes. And how did she know about the Black Lake. There something strange going on there. Should I ask Sirius? No, he would tease me about being with a naked girl and leaving. Definitely not Hermione or the twins, maybe Neville or Remus. No I'll keep this to myself. And who the hell is Stubby Boardman!_ '

The next morning when Remus arrived, they mirror called Sirius and discussed the clue. Later that afternoon Neville, Hermione and the twins stopped by the suite and Harry told them also. Hermione said she would research spells for breathing underwater and Neville said he would help her. Hermione came up with two suggestions after some research. The Bubblehead charm and Self Transfiguration wore the only thing she could find. She recommended the Bubblehead charm even though it was fragile and could "pop" at any time. Self Transfiguration was beyond what Harry could do at this time. He had been devoting most of his extracurricular activities to DADA, charms and runes. Surprisingly it was Neville who came up with a workable solution. Gillyweed. It would allow Harry to breathe underwater for an hour. Harry had Remus buy a large supply of the plant so he could test it out beforehand. He also promised the twins a supply of the plant so that they could experiment with it for their joke products

The twins said they would come up with something that would help Harry search the lake. Harry had a few ideas and he said they could get together later to go over them. Right now he had to prepare for his meeting with Barkaxe and the Wizengamot. For some strange reason, Horcrux's were a more pleasant thought than dealing with politicians.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter Twenty Two Goblins and Politicians

Eight days later, Sam Underhill walked into Gringotts. Harry dropped the glamour when he was behind closed doors in Barkaxe's office. He didn't want to be seen as Harry Potter in Diagon Alley. The furor over the Tri Wizard Tournament had only increased the fame of the Boy-Who-Lived and Harry wanted to avoid as much attention as he could.

"Welcome Mr. Potter.:" Barkaxe greeted. "We have much to discuss."

Harry sat down when invited and said. "Thank you. I know you couldn't say much in your letter. So you were successful in finding a way to track the Horcrux's?"

"Of course we were. Goblins will always succeed." Barkaxe said with pride in his voice. "The process we have discovered will lead us to the next largest piece of soul of the target."

"Next largest? Isn't the soul infinite?" asked Harry.

"The human soul is a finite thing Mr. Potter. How else would a Dementor be able to consume one? No, one is limited to a certain amount. This brings me back to the Horcrux's. When one splits one's soul to create a Horcrux, half of the available soul gets transferred to the desired object. This leaves the person with half of the original soul in their body. If one were to create another Horcrux, only 25% of the original soul would be transferred and 25% would remain in the original body. This is why it is so unbelievable that Voldemort split his soul so many times. He would no longer be considered human by any reasonable standard." Explained Barkaxe.

Harry had to agree that Voldemort wasn't human. Harry figured Voldemort had about 1% of his original soul. "So you found another Horcrux?"

"Yes. As we had agreed earlier, we sent out a team of cursebreakers to find and retrieve the Horcrux. It was located in a town called Little Hangleton in a shack once owned by the Gaunt family. The Horcrux was a ring. As per our previous arrangement the ring will be turned over to you once the Horcrux has been removed. We will however have to create a new contract if you want to hire our cursebreakers to collect the next Horcrux."

"Yes I do. How long until you can get the next Horcrux?" asked Harry.

"The ritual we created requires a new moon to locate a Horcrux. The next new moon won't be until January first. There was also another problem."

"What problem?" asked Harry.

"When we performed the ritual, the Horcrux moved in six different directions, This means that Voldemort has created another Horcrux since you had the one in you scar removed." Barkaxe said.

' _Voldemort must be completely insane._ ' Harry thought. "You will destroy the Horcrux's you have now though, right?"

"Yes. The ritual actually destroys the Horcrux slowly. It takes about a week for it to 'die'." Said Barkaxe.

"That's good. Were there any problems getting the Horcrux?" asked Harry.

"One of our cursebreakers had to be stunned when he fell under a compulsion that was on the ring. He has made a full recovery with no injuries. We have cleared all the curses that are on the ring so it is safe now." Replied Barkaxe.

"That's good. I'm glad he is all right. What kind of curses were on the ring?" Harry asked, his curiosity on cursebreaking getting the better of him.

"There was the compulsion to put the ring on and a withering curse that would rot your body from the point of contact. There is also another type of magic that is a natural part of the ring that we haven't been able to identify yet. It seems to be centered on the stone in the center of the ring. Swiftdeath is examining it as we speak. We can provide you a complete report of his findings for one galleon, if you like." Barkaxe said.

"I'll have to think about it for a little while. Was there anything else? You said the cloaks are ready. Do you want me to sign the new contract for the cursebreaking team now? And are we going to do this for every Horcrux?" Asked Harry.

"There is the matter of the proceeds of the sale of the Basilisk. The Sam Underhill vault now has 1.39 million galleons in it." Barkaxe said.

"Wow!" exclaimed Harry.

"Indeed Mr. Potter. There is still over 70% left to sell. Your cloaks are here." Barkaxe pulled a package from a drawer and placed it on his desk. "Five cloaks and one purse in Basilisk skin. The cost has been deducted from the proceeds of the sale of Basilisk parts."

Harry took the package and said. "Thank you Barkaxe. How long until the whole Basilisk is sold?"

"The market has slowed down quite a bit. I estimate the sale will be complete in under a year. Are you expecting to make many large purchases?"

"Not really, I was just wondering." Answered Harry.

"Let us discuss a new contract…"

Harry and Barkaxe talked for a little while longer. A new contract was agreed to and signed. Before he left Harry asked. "Would it be possible to go along with the cursebreakers when they go to get the Horcrux? I promise to stay out of their way, I just want to observe."

"I will check with Swiftdeath and if he agrees I don't see why not." Answered Barkaxe.

Harry decided to do a little Christmas shopping and left Gringotts as Sam Underhill. A few hours later he returned to Hogwarts.

A few days before Harry had to be at the Wizengamot, Ted Tonks let Harry know that the Ministry was trying to pressuring the Daily Prophet into writing disparaging articles about him. Barkaxe had successfully purchased another seven percent of the Daily Prophet stock and it turned out that Sirius owned eight percent. This meant that between both of them they controlled fifty five percent. One of the first things that Ted did was replace the editor and promote one of the current staff writers to the post. The new editor was a halfblood and wasn't a fan of the Ministry. When the Daily Prophet refused the Ministry's demands, the Ministry banned any of their employees from making statements to the Prophet. The Prophet replied to this by quoting any Ministry employee that they were able to get a statement from as a 'unidentified member of the Ministers personal staff'. Over the next few weeks several members of the Ministers staff were mysteriously transferred to other departments. All the members of the Ministers staff were purebloods from notable family lines, so it was impossible for the Minister to outright fire them, especially with no proof. Since the Daily Prophet was the only respectable newspaper in Britain and owned Witch Weekly, Teen Witch Weekly, Transfiguration Today, The Practical Potioneer, Magical Menagerie, and The Green Thumb, The Ministry couldn't do much about them. Harry controlled almost all the printed media except the Quibbler. After Harry had read a few of the Quibblers and found out that they were printed by the Lovegoods, Luna's weird mannerisms made more sense. Many of the Prophets reporters suddenly found themselves getting fines for the smallest of offences. Harry had Ted investigate these fines and if he found that they were a response from the Ministry, he would pay them himself. He also had Ted tell the new editor to quietly investigate corruption in the Ministry, but not print anything that wasn't a breaking story yet. They were gathering as much evidence as they could.

Back at Hogwarts, Harry spent most of his time training for the second task. He practiced in the Room of Requirement, which transfigured itself into a smaller version of the Black Lake. He found that certain spells worked differently underwater and that with a specific dose of Gillyweed, he could stay underwater for an hour. Harry was working on a rune stone set that would identify human presence near it. He planned to spread these stones all over the lake and use them to find 'What he would sorely miss'. Research into previous tournaments by Hermione discovered a pattern of using a hostage in the second tasks. He was still wondering who they would use.

In some strange coincidence he kept running into Luna in the halls. Every conversation left Harry more confused, but he was getting to like the strange girl. There wasn't a mean bone in her body, which Harry still thought about more often than he would like.

It was now the day where he would have to defend himself in front of the Wizengamot. Harry spent the night before in his Hogsmeade home. He wanted to avoid all possible contact with Dumbledore before the meeting. This probably wouldn't have happened since Harry noticed that Dumbledore was spending a lot of time out of the castle. Ted showed up at seven that morning and he, Harry and Remus had breakfast and finished discussing their game plan for the Wizengamot. It was decided that it would be best for Remus to stay away from the Ministry because of his 'furry little problem'.

Ted and Harry arrived in the Ministry atrium at 7:40 am, to find Andromeda waiting for them. Ted's earlier warning proved to be right as a contact of his told him when they appeared that the Wizengamot meeting had been moved up to eight am. The location had also changed and it had been moved into one of the courtrooms. ' _Amazingly'_ , no official notice had reached Harry, and they had just enough time to make it. After passing through the security check point they took the elevators down to the bottom most levels of the Ministry. They had to take a flight of stairs to get to the courtroom.

There were many surprised faces when Ted, Harry and Andromeda entered the courtroom, none more so than the Minister himself. At eight exactly Dumbledore entered, gave a mildly surprised look at Harry, and started the meeting. "I hereby call to order the emergency meeting of the Wizengamot of Monday December 12th, 1994 to be in session. All old business will be put on hold until the regular session on March 3rd 1995. What new business is to be brought before this body?'

Before anyone else could answer, Andromeda stood and said. "I, Andromeda Cassiopeia Tonks hereby claim the proxy for the House Potter seat."

An uproar enveloped the courtroom at this announcement. Dumbledore let it go on for a minute before banging his gavel and re-establishing order. "That is part of the circumstance that has brought us here today. It would be irresponsible to allow you to sit as House Potters proxy while we determine if Harry is even allowed to be a member of the Wizengomot yet."

"From what I understand, **Mr. Potter** already is emancipated and this meeting it to try to strip a Lord of an Ancient and Noble house of his title." Andromeda replied. There were many uneasy muttering at this statement. Harry figured that most of the purebloods didn't realize what taking away his emancipation could affect them too. "As of this moment, he is Lord Potter, Head of the House of Potter. A fact that has been confirmed by the goblins of Gringotts. It is his right to choose any proxy he wants."

Dumbledore had no choice and officially recognized Andromeda as the Potter proxy. Harry was happy that the first hurdle was passed. Dumbledore spoke up again. "Now that that's settled, any other new business?"

Minister Fudge was the one to speak up this time. "If it so please's, I would like to request that this esteemed body consider the case of a 13 year old boy gaining control of one of our more respected family lines before he could possibly be prepared for the responsibility."

' _I'm fourteen you pompous jackass_.' Harry thought.

Fudge continued. "It would be in no one's interest to let a proud house slip into disrepute because of the actions of a mere child," There were some agreeable mutterings coming from the Wizengamot.

Dumbledore said. "Thank you Minister. Does the body agree to hear the case brought by the Minister at this time?" Many lights lit up in the crowd and Dumbledore continued. "This has been approved for judgement by the Wizengamot by majority vote. We will proceed immediately. Minister since you brought this before us today; you may state your case"

"Thank you Chief Warlock. "Fudge said while nodding to Dumbledore. "Through some mysterious circumstances and a fluke of magic, we find that Harry Potter has gotten himself declared an adult. He is in no way ready to even comprehend the awesome responsibility, such as many if you fine gentlemen know, that being a Head of House entails. I see that revoking his emancipation maybe problematic… so I recommend selecting a guardian to oversee the Potter House responsibilities." Harry and Ted weren't expecting this angle. Harry hoped that Ted would figure something out. There was no way that he would go back under Dumbledore's thumb. Fudge continued. "I recommend… Lucius Malfoy to be that guardian."

Dumbledore was looking calm and satisfied while Fudge was speaking, up until Fudge named Lucius. He immediately sent a shocked and angry look at Fudge. Harry believed that the guardian plan was Dumbledore's but that Fudge double crossed him by suggesting Malfoy. Ted spoke up at this point. "I have several objections to many of the points that the Minister has made. First of all, Harry Potter is fourteen, not thirteen. Every child in our world knows this fact, it surprises me that the Minister has forgotten." There were a few quiet laughs at this. "Second, Harry Potter has been emancipated since the night of October 31st and the Potter estate has not diminished at all. In fact he has helped grow the Potter fortune by over 8000 galleons since his emancipation. I have records from Gringotts to prove my claim. "

Harry had indeed raised the Potter fortune by raising some of the rents and recommending some muggle stocks to buy. He also took Barkaxe's advice on other stocks and has made a tidy sum so far. They did fudge some of the results by selling a property to Sam Underhill for an over inflated price.

Ted continued. "And regardless of that fact, the appointing a guardian to watch over and control an Ancient and Noble House is unheard of. What's to stop the Ministry from demanding that a guardian be placed in charge of you if they decide that they know best how to run your House. Besides, do we want to appoint a guardian that is so susceptible to the Imperious Curse that he _claimed_ to be under it for many years? What's to stop someone else from putting him under it again? Maybe we should appoint him a guardian to be on the safe side." There were some nervous mutterings at this.

Harry could tell that Malfoy wanted to object but knew that anything he said would probably only hurt is case. Harry was surprised when he first saw Malfoy in the Wizengamot chambers because Ted told him that he wasn't a member of the body. Now he knew why he was there. Looking around the room Harry saw many expressions of concentration. Harry was concerned that it all happened so fast and hat he didn't get a chance to speak, but he believed that Ted had successfully defended his position. There was no way that any pureblood would relinquish control of their family to someone else, epically someone from the Ministry. The Minister wasn't looking too happy either. He was talking to a short, ugly woman on his right. She looked like an unpleasant toad and Harry hoped he wouldn't have to see her again.

Dumbledore let the members of the Wizengamot debate among themselves for a few minutes. When the noise level died down he spoke up. "We will now vote on the matter of appointing Mr…"

"That's Lord." Ted spoke, interrupting Dumbledore.

"Yes, of Lord Potter needing an appointed guardian. All in favor, light your wands." There were scattered light all around the courtroom. Harry noticed that it was way less than half. "All in favor of no guardian, please light your wand." The hall came alight with lit wands. "This body has voted to not appoint… Lord Potter a guardian. So it has been decided, so it shall be." Dumbledore banged his gavel.

Harry turned and gave Ted a hug. Someone was getting a big bonus this Christmas. Dumbledore called for any other business and nobody brought anything else up, this whole farce was just to strip Harry of his freedom. Harry was glad that he could rely on the purebloods self-interest to help protect his own. Fudge and the unpleasant looking woman left the courtroom quickly, looking upset. Lucius Malfoy followed them out. Harry would bet anything that gold changed hands for the Minister to recommend Malfoy as his possible guardian.

Andromeda rejoined Ted and Harry and they started to make their way out of the courtroom when they were stopped by Dumbledore. "Harry, my boy."

Harry cut him off immediately. "I've told you before it's Lord Potter to you… Albus You were recently reminded of this fact only a few moments ago so it should be fresh in your mind."

Dumbledore was upset and said. "If were being formal, it's Chief Warlock."

Harry replied. "Of course… Albus. I'll remember that."

Dumbledore let this go and got to the reason he had stopped Harry. "I wanted to say I'm sorry you had to go through this. It was a surprise to me what the Minister did."

"Was it a surprise that the Minister named Lucius Malfoy instead of someone, say like… you? Or that it didn't work?' asked Harry.

"You wound me Harry." Dumbledore said, with a false hurt look on his face. "I've only ever had your best interests at heart."

In his head Harry thought. ' _I haven't wounded you yet_.' He ignored the fact of Dumbledore using his first name again by turning around and walking out of the courtroom.

In the hall, once that they had walked up the stairs and before they got into the elevators, a person in a grey robe bumped into Harry as he passed and Harry felt a piece of parchment get put in his hand. In the elevator, since there was only Ted and Andromeda, Harry read the note. "It is vitally important that you come to the Dept. of Mysteries. There is something there that concerns you. It would be best if you come at a time where no one will see you come and go. When you get there call out for Unspeakable Lassiter. Please reply promptly."

Harry asked Ted and Andromeda what the Dept. of Mysteries was and what was an Unspeakable. The explained that an Unspeakable was someone who worked in the Dept. of Mysteries and that they had no idea what went on in there. "It's a Mystery." Ted said unhelpfully.

Harry would ask Sirius and Remus what he should do. He couldn't wait to get back so he could tell them how the trial went.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter Twenty Three Getting Ready For the Ball

"Ted is the best!" Said Sirius after Harry told him and Remus all about what happened at the Ministry when they were all in the chamber later that same day. "There was no way that those pureblood bastards would give up any of their control."

"It was a good approach and probably would have worked if Ted and Andromeda weren't there." Replied Remus.

"Yeah, probably. Do you think it was Dumbledore's idea? Fudge doesn't seem sharp enough to come up with it." Sirius said.

"He was looking pleased with himself until Fudge said Malfoy's name. How many galleons do you think it cost Malfoy for Fudge to name him?" Asked Harry.

"I don't know. He probably is still yelling at Fudge. We'll have to keep an eye on him though. Do you think we can sneak a couple of mirrors to his place?" asked Sirius.

Both Harry and Remus ponderd this question, suddenly Harry called. "Dobby!"

There was a pop and Dobby spoke. "Mas… Harry Potter sir called Dobby?"

Harry thought. ' _He's still trying to say master. At least he catches himself. He's also getting a little better with the hero worship._ ' "Dobby, we want to know if you still have access to Malfoy Manor?"

Dobby seemed to draw into himself. Ye… yes Dobby can's still go to old bad masters place."

Harry could see Dobby twitch at saying old bad master and knew that he wanted to punish himself. Fortunately Harry has been able to help Dobby work on stopping punishing himself. "You don't have too, but it would be helpful if we could put a couple of those mirrors that you and Winky put up around the castle, in his house. Can you do that?"

"Dobby can's. Old bad master never told Dobby not to come back. Old bad master doesn't tell elves much. Dobby should get's other elves to let him place things." Dobby said.

'That's great Dobby. You're the best." Harry said excitedly. Dobby looked proud with himself at the praise. "Sirius, do we have any extra mirrors? How many do you think we'll need?"

"I've got a few lying around. We'll probably need one in his office, one above each floo connection and one in the entrance hall so we can see who comes and goes." Sirius answered.

Remus cut in. "You mentioned a secret room that Lucius keeps his Dark Art's stuff. Dobby, do you think that you can get access to this room too?"

"Dobby believes so."

"We should probably put a mirror in the sitting room and the library. Why don't we just put one in every room in the house? Except the bathrooms and Narcissa's bedroom." Harry glanced at Sirius who looked a little disappointed. "She's your cousin you perv." Sirius just shrugged. "Dobby, How many rooms does Malfoys home have? Except the bathrooms."

Dobby closed his eyes in thought. "Old bad master's home has… 32 rooms."

Harry turned to Sirius and asked. "Do we have that many mirrors?"

"Sirius answered. "We have about twelve right now. It should only take about a day to create the rest of the mirrors. I won't be able to watch both the Malfoys and Hogwarts by myself though. There's only so much of this perfection to go around."

Harry let this patently untrue statement go. "Dobby, I never asked before but can you write?"

"Yes Harry Potter sir. Dobby can's write's good". Dobby popped away and reappeared a second later with a quill and a piece of parchment. "See." Dobby said and started to write. Dobby handed the parchment to Harry and Harry read 'Hurrrry Ptr sss greeeetst wwzrd.'

"Thank you Dobby. That's great." Inside Harry thought. ' _Maybe we can get some dictation quills. The person watching the mirror's only have to identify who's there.'_

Remus spoke up. "We should probably test this out with one or two mirrors before we commit to covering the whole house. If they go unnoticed for say… a week, we can set all the other mirrors up."

"Good idea." Said Harry. "What rooms would you recommend we try first?"

"I'd say the entrance hall and his office. We might be able to get away with covering the floo also." Answered Remus

"Dobby, how many floo connections does Malfoy have?" Harry asked.

"Old bad master has three, Harry Potter sir. Main one in main entrance's and one in office's. Old bad master has secret floo in secret room too's." said Dobby.

"Well the one in the entrance hall could cover the floo and the entrance. He one in his office can do the same. So that means that we only need one more for the secret room. Dobby, is there a mirror already in any of those rooms?" replied Harry.

"Yes Harry Potter sir. All rooms have mirrors. Old bad master likes to look at himself's a lots." Dobby said.

"That could work. Dobby, can you get a copy of each mirror that Malfoy has in his home? If not, can you give a memory of the mirrors?" Harry asked.

"What are you thinking pup?" inquired Sirius.

Harry answered. "If we can replace the mirrors, there is a better chance that they will go unnoticed. It's a good thing that it sounds like Malfoy is so vain. So Dobby, can you do it?"

"Dobby can's Harry Potter sir. Dobby doesn't know where to gets other mirrors but Dobby can's give thoughts to Harry Potter sir." Said the excited elf.

"I didn't know elves could give memories." Said Remus.

"Oh yes we can's Headmaster Wolfie. Most masters never ask us to's and we never would think's to give thoughts to others." Answered Dobby.

Harry pulled out the pensive from his trunk and collected the memories from Dobby. He, Sirius and Remus watched many memories of Dobby cleaning all the mirrors in Malfoys house. They were able to identify all the mirrors in the rooms that they wanted to replace. When they emerged all three started to create replicas. It took them four hours to create the three mirrors. Looking at Dobby's memories again confirmed that they had done a good job. It was now a little after three in the afternoon and Harry spoke again to Dobby, "Dobby, I want you to go to the Malfoys house at three am and replace the mirrors. Can you do that?"

"Oh yes, Harry Potter sir." Dobby said and gave a little salute.

"Good. I want you to rest up before you go, so take it easy the rest of the day. By the way, have you been able to find all of Luna Lovegoods missing stuff?" Harry asked. He had spoken to Dobby after he first ran into Luna and asked him to find her missing things. Dobby had mentioned that the Hogwarts elves always returned all the things they could to the originals owners at the end of each semester but that he would ask them to return Luna's things whenever they found them. So far they have returned most of her missing things. Harry was concerned that the still missing items might have been destroyed. Harry asked Dobby to ask the Hogwarts elves to also keep an eye on Luna whenever they could. Most of the elves liked Luna and had no problem with the request.

Dobby looked upset and answered. "Dobby is not finding all of Little Moon's things yet. Dobby will Harry Potter sir, have's no fear." Dobby finished with determination.

"That's OK Dobby. You are doing a good job. Thank the other elves for me. Now go rest." Replied Harry.

"Yes Harry Potter sir." Said Dobby, and he popped away.

Harry turned to the Marauders. "Do you think we'll get any useful information by doing this?"

"Maybe. It can't hurt. Unless we get caught." answered Remus.

"Lucy can't help but do the wrong thing, so we should get something." Said Sirius. "Leave the Pensive and I'll get started on the other mirrors. Should we do this to other people's homes too?"

"I don't know. It is a massive invasion of privacy. Do we have the right? I agree that Malfoy is a special case, but anyone else?" Said Remus.

"I hear what you're saying. How about if we stick to the Death Eaters that bought their way to freedom and the Minister if we can. The Minister might be too well protected though. Those Death Eaters shouldn't be allowed freedom so an invasion of privacy is little compensation." Said Harry.

Remus thought it over and said. "I can agree to that. We have to watch ourselves so we don't go too far."

"That's what we have you for." Said Sirius. "You did that for us when we were in school."

Harry agreed that they should watch themselves. He didn't want to turn into a peeping tom. He decided that when Voldemort was defeated he would destroy the hidden mirrors. "So do you think we can get one into the Ministers office?"

"I don't know. Fudge is a fool but he has the entire DMLE to watch his back. Too bad it's too dangerous to put one in Dumbledore's office." Sirius said.

"I actually have an idea about that." Replied Harry.

"Really, what?" asked Remus.

"It will have to wait until Christmas, but I was thinking of sending him a mirror as a gift from some important group or something. You've seen all the knick-knacks that he has in his office? Hopefully he will put it on one of his shelves. We'll have to charm the mirror to talk or something so any magical scan will show that is why it is enchanted. We've determined that the mirrors don't show up as listening or communication devices. We'll keep the other mirror end somewhere far away from here incase Dumbledore detects anything."

"That could work. Good Idea. Maybe we could do the same thing for Fudge?" said Remus

"He's a genius. He gets that from me." Said Sirius

Harry and Remus knew better than to respond and just rolled their eyes. Harry said. "I better get going. Hermione must be going spare waiting to hear what happened. Sometimes that girl needs to take a calming potion or something. See you guys later."

"Before you go, did you make up your mind about the Unspeakable?" asked Sirius.

"I'm still thinking about it. I'll let both of you know before I do anything." Harry said, than left the chamber by the forest entrance. He needed to be seen reentering Hogwarts. They had decided to take the weekend off of training so Remus stayed with Sirius.

All of Harry's friends were happy for him when he told them that he was still a free adult. Things got back into a routine until Remus told Harry about the Yule Ball and that as a champion, he was required to attend and have a date to open the Ball with. Harry quietly freaked out. He thought, ' _A ball? I don't even know how to dance! Stupid Goblet and Stupid fake moody. Who should I take? Who can I take? Most girls are only interested in my fame. Most probably still believe that I entered myself. No one that wore a button, that's for sure. Maybe Ginny? No, she's still too much of a fan girl and I don't want to deal with the twins. I'm sure I would have to hear from Ron too. I know! I'll ask Hermione. We can go as friends'_. Making up his mind Harry set out to ask Hermione.

Of course Harry found her in the library. When he walked up to her he noticed that she wasn't reading any of the books that were in front of her and she had a far away look in her eyes. And was she blushing? Harry got a bad feeling I his stomach. He said. "Um, Hermione. Are you alright?"

"Oh Harry! Yes I'm good. Very good." She said while a smile formed on her face.

"That's good… So, I wanted to ask you something." Harry said nervously.

"Of course, ask me anything." She replied.

"Would…would you go to the Ball with me? As friends of course." Harry got out, talking very fast.

Hermione got a sorrowful look and said. "I'm sorry Harry, but someone already asked me and I said yes."

"Oh! Ok . That's all right. I was just wondering. Who are you going to go with?" he asked quickly.

Hermine got a guilty look and said. "Viktor Krum. He just asked me a few minutes ago. You're not mad are you?"

Harry got over his shock quickly when he saw the concerned look on her face. "Of course not. Looks like I'm a little too late. Any ideas of who I should ask?"

"How about Ginny?' she said.

All Harry said back was "Twins."

"Right, Ginny's a no. Let me think about it and I'll let you know later, OK?" Hermione replied.

"Not a problem. Remember, no fan girls." Harry left the library after that to wander the halls until dinner

As fate would have it, he ran into the one other girl that popped into his mind as he was thinking about whom to ask to the Ball. "Hello Harry Potter." Luna said as she was playing with the fairies in one of the Christmas trees that were in all the hallways. The Fairies seemed to be zooming all around her and playing with her hair. It made her look incredible in Harry's opinion. He didn't know what came over him and he found himself saying. "Do you want to go to the Ball with me?"

Harry realized what he just asked, but before he could take it back Luna said "I would like that Harry Potter. Daddy sent me the perfect dress to match your dress robes. Remember, Nargles love Mistletoe so we have to avoid it. I'll give you something to keep the Wrackspurts away. You seem to be doing a good job of getting rid of them yourself. I'm Hungry, Hope there's pudding." And she turned around and left for the Great Hall.

Harry was stunned silent. Every time he met Luna he went away more confused than before. He thought. ' _What just happened! Did I just ask Luna Lovegood to the Ball? What did she mean that she had a dress that matched my dress robes? How could she possible know what my dress robes looked like? I haven't even bought the ones I'm going to wear to the Ball yet. Why does she keep bringing up Nargles and Wrackspurts? I guess it will be an interesting night. Pudding does sound good._ ' Harry left for the Great Hall too.

The Mirrors were a success. The next day Harry made his way down to the chamber and found Sirius watching Lucius sitting in his office. Lucius was just reading papers and there was music playing in the background. Before Harry could say anything Sirius said with a smirk. "So… Luna Lovegood huh?"

It took Harry a moment to realize that there was a mirror in the hallway when he asked Luna to the Ball. "Shut up." He said with his face turning red.

Sirius laughed. When he recovered he said. "Real smooth, quite the ladies man." Harry just hissed and one of the snakes appeared scaring Sirius. "Stop doing that." Sirius yelped.

"We are not going to speak of that again, right?" Harry said with a touch of venom in his voice.

"Right, we won't speak of that again." Under his breath Sirius muttered. "Today."

Harry either didn't hear him or just let it go. He asked. "Anything going on with Malfoy?"

"Not a thing. You didn't really expect anything to happen right away did you?" replied Sirius.

"Not really. Sirius, I have a little problem." Harry said.

"What Problem?" inquired Sirius.

I… I don't know how to dance." Harry said softly.

Sirius wanted to laugh but knew that it wouldn't help the situation. He was happy that Harry would come to him with his problems. "Well I can't teach you. But I know who might."

If you say Remus, forget it." Responded Harry.

Sirius did laugh at this. "No, but I would like to see that. My idea was to get Andromeda to teach you. She paid attention to all that stuff growing up."

"That could work. It shouldn't be too embarrassing. I'll write to her right away and ask. Good idea Sirius. Looks like you had your one for the year." Harry teased.

"Hey!" shouted Sirius, and it was Harry turn to laugh.

Andromeda agreed and she and Harry met up in Harry's Hogsmeade home. It took about four lessons before Harry felt comfortable with his moves. Andromeda was a good teacher. She was patient and didn't complain when Harry stepped on her toes. She later told Harry that she spelled her shoes with a cushioning charm before each lesson. In Harry's second lesson, he was introduced to Andromeda's daughter, one 'don't call me Nymphadora' Tonks. She was a cute older witch and had a fun loving personality that Harry instantly liked. Harry was surprised to see a witch with bright blue hair, They got to talking during a break and he was even more shocked when her hair changed to neon pink. "What the?" He spluttered.

"What? Oh the hair." She said.

"How? I didn't see you cast a glamour or anything."

"Don't need to. I'm a Metamorphmagus." She said proudly.

What's a Metamo…?" started to ask Harry.

"A Metamorphmagus It is a witch or wizard that can change their appearance at will, without external magic or spells. Watch." Tonks got a look of concentration and all of sudden an entirely new person was standing in front of Harry. She had a new nose, lips, hair, skin and eye color and shrunk about two inches. She was also now a he.

"Wow! That was cool. Can you teach me?" Harry asked.

Tonks turned back to her pink haired self and said. "Sorry. You're born a Metamorphmagus, it can't be taught. There a lot of spells that can change your appearance though. Bet you wouldn't mind hiding that famous scar when you go out, right?"

"Yeah. Too bad. Can you turn into anybody or anything? Asked Harry.

"There are limits. I can make my features look like almost anything, but I'm still me. I can only grow or shrink a little bit and my magical signature stays the same. The down side is that my center of balance is a little off and I'm downright clumsy. It almost got me kicked out of Auror training."

You're an Auror?" Harry asked. He got a little nervous having a Ministry employee in his home. Then he remembered that she was Andromeda's daughter and she wouldn't have brought her if she wasn't trustworthy. Harry knew what Andromeda and Ted thought of the Ministry. "Why when…?"

"When my mother and father hate the Ministry so much?" She finished for him. "I wanted to help people and I am pants at healing. Besides the DMLE is usually separate from the goings on at the Ministry. Amelia Bones is one of the few people that Fudge tries to avoid."

' _I'll have to remember that._ ' Harry thought. Andromeda returned at this point and the lessons continued.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter Twenty Four Yule

It was now Christmas morning and Harry was in the chamber with Sirius and Remus. He slept the night in his trunk in the chamber and planned on spending the day with the two marauders. He was going to turn back time and meet up with his friends to exchange gifts in his suite at 10 am, his second. It would be like having two Christmas's.

Wisely he hadn't added Sirius or Remus to the wards protecting his trunk so he was able to sleep in and not have to worry about being pranked. At 7 am his mirror went off and Sirius practically shouted for him to get up. Harry waited until 8 before he left the trunk. Sirius was seriously impatient and practically tackled Harry to the ground in a hug when he finally emerged. Remus was just laughing at the exuberance that the ex-convict was showing.

Sirius was saying/shouting. "Merry Christmas! Wait till you see what I got you. You'll love it. Come on, come on." Sirius lead Harry to the Christmas tree that Dobby had acquired. The whole outer chamber was completely decorated in streamers, wreaths, fake snow, and Christmas ornaments. There were no fairies in the tree because Harry wasn't sure if the snakes would eat them or not. Sirius put a package in Harrys hand and said to open it first. Sirius was acting like a toddler on a sugar high. Harry remembered that this was the first Christmas since Sirius was sent to Azkaban that he could celebrate with someone else. Last year didn't count because he was still in hiding and thought to be guilty by all his friends.

Harry opened the package and discovered a photo album. Harry picked it up and started to look through it. Sirius said. "I found all the pictures I could of your father and mother. I know you got one like it from Hagrid but this one has some pictures that no one other than a Marauder has seen before." Looking at the pictures, Harry saw several of the Marauders pulling off pranks. Seeing the pictures that Harry was looking at Sirius said. "If Minnie ever saw these, she would have kicked us out of Hogwarts."

Remus said. "I can't believe I let you talk me into taking the pictures while we set up the pranks. It's a miracle that we didn't get caught."

"I love it! It's amazing, thank you Sirius." Harry spoke. He reluctantly put the photo album down and handed both Sirius and Remus a package. They both opened them at the same time and pulled out a Basilisk skin cloak. Harry said. "I had these made from the Basilisk that was in the chamber. The goblins made them for me and now they're yours. Happy Christmas!"

Remus and Sirius tried them on and Sirius spoke up. "These are awesome! Did you know that Basilisk skin is more spell resistant than Dragon skin?"

"Yeah I knew that. That's why I had them made. I also have one for myself." Answered Harry.

"Thank you Harry. It's a really spectacular gift. Are you sure that it isn't too expensive though." Said Remus.

"They didn't cost me anything. Remember that I own the basilisk and am selling it. The goblins used my own portion of Basilisk skin to make the cloaks. I've already made two million galleons by selling the Basilisk and there's more left to sell, so money isn't really an issue." Replied Harry.

"Well, thank you." Remus said. "Here, open my gift next."

Harry took the package and tore off the wrapping. "Wow, thank you." Said Harry, showing off a black belt that had many pouches built into it."

"The pouches have an expansion, feather light and stasis charm built into them. You can store almost anything in them. Tools, potions, food, whatever you want as long as it isn't alive." Explained Remus.

"Cool." Said Harry. "I got you one more thing" He handed Remus an envelope.

When Remus opened it, he gasped and immediately said. "This is too much!"

"What's too much?" asked Sirius.

Remus explained. "Harry got me a lifetime supply of Wolfsbane potion." He turned back to Harry. "You already are supplying me with Wolfsbane for the year, I can't accept this." He started handing back the envelope to Harry.

Harry just pushed it back at Remus. "It is already paid for and is not returnable. You need the potion to help keep you and others safe during the full moon. If you don't want to accept it for yourself, take it too keep others safe."

"I don't know." muttered Remus.

Sirius said. "Take it Mooney. I would do it for you if Harry didn't beat me to it. It won't hurt me or Harry and will help you."

Remus was quiet for a few moments and then said. "Thank you Harry. I still think it is too much, but thank you."

"You're welcome. Now for your other gift Sirius." Harry said and handed Sirius another package.

"Gimme, gimme." Sirius said, acting like the toddler again. Harry and Remus had to laugh. Opening the package, he pulled out a shrunken trunk and a booklet.

"It's like my trunk." Explained Harry. "The booklet tells you how to set the wards and use the trunk. There is also another surprise for you in the first compartment." Harry showed Sirius how to enlarge the trunk and let him look in the first compartment. Inside Sirius found a ring and a neckless. Harry told him about what they did. "They are like the ones I have. The neckless is a glamour neckless. You can change hair, eye and skin color. It also produces a weak Notice-Me-Not and Confundus that makes people not pay attention to your features. I'll let you experiment with it. The ring changes your magical signature as long as you wear it on your wand hand."

"Wow! Thanks pup." Said Sirius. "This will come in handy if I go out."

"Not a problem. I want you to be safe. Dobby, Winky!" Harry called out.

There were two pops and Dobby said. "Merry Christmas Harry Potter sir. What's can's Dobby and Winky do's for you?"

Harry handed each of them a wrapped package. Opening them they each let out a little 'eep'. They pulled out a silver neckless with the Potter crest as the charm. Harry said. "They are not clothes. I hope you like them. There is no reason to keep you a secret anymore so I want everyone to be able to tell that you are Potter elves."

Winky started to cry and Dobby popped away. Dobby returned a moment later with a painting that he handed to Harry. "Thank you Harry Potter sir. You'se is the bestest master ever. Dobby be making this for you'se for Christmas's."

Harry took the painting and saw that it was a painting of him painted by Dobby."Thank you Dobby, It's great. Is Winky alright?"

"I is good Harry Potter sir. No one's ever givin' Winky a gift before," said Winky.

"Well get used to it. I consider you and Dobby as family, ad family get gifts." Said Harry. Winky started crying again and Harry let Dobby take care of her. Harry then called for Sssloker, Sssslisssser and Ssssliter. When they appeared Harry gave each of them a personalized den that had a warming stone built in and told them that he would set them up wherever they liked. He also gave each one a big juicy rat to eat.

Sirius and Remus got his attention and handed him another package. It was a long wrapped package and Harry was a little confused. He opened it and was surprised to find a broomstick. He said. "You gave me a Firebolt last Christmas Sirius. Why did you give me another broom?"

"It's not just any broom. Me and Remus worked on it and it now has some special abilities, like… It works underwater!" Sirius said.

"Really? I didn't think that a broom would work in water. This is cool, and I can use it on the second task." Replied Harry.

Remus spoke. "Normally brooms don't work in water, but we were able to get it too. We had the second task I mind when we made it."

"I can't wait to try it, thank you both." Said Harry. They spent a few more hours enjoying the holiday and enjoyed a meal provided by Dobby and Winky. Harry turned back time and left to meet up with his friends.

He made it back to his room by 9 am and was surprised to find Luna waiting outside of his door. Harry asked when he got near her, "Hello Luna, Merry Christmas. Have you been waiting here long?"

"Merry Christmas to you too Harry Potter. And no, I haven't been waiting long. There would be no point to wait here for you when you were spending time with Mr Boardman and Mr Wolfie. Did you have a good time with them?"

Harry started to freak out ' _How did she know that? Does she know about the chamber? Is Sirius safe?_ '

Luna spoke up again, "Don't worry. I won't tell anyone where you were and nobody believes me any way."

"Ok… thank you." Said Harry. He looked down and saw a gift in Luna's hand. "Is that for me?"

"Yes it is Harry Potter. Here." And Luna handed the gift to Harry.

Harry took it and then invited Luna into his suite. "I got something for you too. Let me go get it, make yourself comfortable." When Harry came back with the gift he found Luna sitting upside down on the couch, her legs hanging over the back and her head close to the ground. Her robes were starting to fall 'down' and Harry could tell that Luna wasn't wearing underwear again. He was able to break his eyes away with some effort and offered Luna the gift. Luna sat back up the normal way and took it.

"Thank you Harry Potter. Open mine first." Said Luna.

"OK." said Harry and he tore off the wrapping of his gift. Inside the box he saw a neckless made from Butter Beer corks and a copy of the Quibbler with a note that said he had a lifetime subscription to the magazine. "Thank you."

"The neckless will keep away Wrackspurts." Said Luna and Harry put it on. Harry would examine it later. "Oooh, it's working!" Luna squealed.

"Now open mine" said Harry.

"Oh goodie!" Luna said as she opened the gift. She pulled out a purse made of Basilisk skin.

Harry said. "It is charmed with a feather light and an expansion charm. It also has some security features that will keep it from being stolen. There is a note inside that tells you what to do to set them up."

Luna got up and gave Harry a hug. It was softer than a Hermione hug and Harry liked it. Luna gave him a kiss on the cheek when she let go and Harry was stunned silent. "I better go. I will see you tonight. Bye Harry Potter." She said and then left the suite.

Harry stayed in the same spot for a few minutes. He felt his cheek and thought, ' _That was amazing. I hope she does it again tonight.'_ He regained his senses and got the suite ready for his friends.

Hermione and Neville showed up at ten exactly and the twins arrived about fifteen minutes later. They all brought a gift for Harry and the twins also had one from their mother. Harry had found gift's from Hagrid and the Tonks's waiting for him in his suite that he had opened earlier. The Tonks's had given him two robes. One was a dress robe with the Potter crest on the front and a Wizengamot robe. Harry gave them four percent ownership in the Daily Prophet and a Portkey and week hotel suite stay in Paris. He also got Nymphadora a Dragon Hide vest to protect herself as an Auror. He got Hagrid a Portkey and a week visitation to the Dragon reserve in Romania where Norbert was sent. Hagrid got him a hand carved stand with a Hungarian Horntail claw. The note attached said it was from the same Dragon that Harry faced in the first task. Harry had already sent a selection of candies to Ginny and a card and a chocolate frog to the Gryffindor Quidditch team. He had received a card from all of them. Harry sent a package to the Weasleys with enchanted yarn for Mrs. Weasley and children's books on how electronics work and how planes fly to Mr. Weasley. Ron got and gave nothing, not even to his brothers.

The twin insisted that Harry open their gift first. Cautiously he opened the package, you can never be to careful when the twins are involved, and found assorted joke product inside. The twins proudly said that they had invented each one of them. Even Hermione was impressed with their creativity, but she was still anxious about what they could do. Harry gave them each an arm wand holster and assorted potion ingredients.

Next, Hermione gave him a stationary set with parchment and envelopes stamped with the Potter crest. Harry gave her an arm holster and a two compartment trunk. It was permanently charmed feather light and auto shrinking. The first compartment was normal but the second compartment was a portable library. She loved it and immediately started reading the instruction manual. She hadn't noticed the Basilisk skin cloak in the first compartment yet.

Neville gave Harry a watch. He explained that it was tradition to give a Wizard a watch when they came of age. Harry loved it. Harry gave Neville an arm wand holster too and an assortment of rare magical seeds. The package from the Weasleys contained a Weasley sweater in green with a picture of a Dragon on the front. There was also an assortment of homemade sweets along with the sweater.

After everyone had opened their gifts, Harry pulled out three more packages and handed one to Neville, Hermione and one of the twins.

"What's this Harry? You already gave us our Christmas present." Said Neville.

"Open them up and find out." Replied Harry.

"Mirrors?"

"We like to…"

"…Look at ourselves…"

"…as much as the next…"

"…person, but we don't…"

"…need a mirror for that." Said the twins.

Harry had given the twins three mirrors, Neville two and Hermione one. "Funny you two. No these are special mirrors, Watch." Harry pulled out his own mirror and said "Gred!"

The mirror in Gred's hand started to vibrate, and he shouted, "What the?"

"To answer it you have to push some of your magic into the mirror, just like casting a Lumos only without a wand. This is also how you send a message, but you also say the name of the mirror you're calling while pushing your magic" Said Harry.

Gred did just that and Harry's face appeared in his mirror. "Wicked! How do they work?" The twins looked up but Harry was nowhere in sight. His face was still in the mirror. "Where'd you go?"

"I'm in the other room. These are communication mirrors. They work over great distances and are great for keeping in touch. Or for keeping a lookout." Harry winked at the twins at this.

"Why do we have three…"

"…and Neville two…"

"…and Hermione only one?" asked the twins.

"I figured that you might want to give one to another friend of yours. I understand that he is an accomplice in many of your…adventures. I got an extra one for Neville in case he wanted to give it to anyone also. The passwords for your mirrors are Gred, Forge and Accomplice. I can teach you how to change them if you want. Neville, your password is Herb Boy and the extra mirror is set to Mirror Two. Mine is Prongslet by the way." the twins snickered at this. "I know, I know. Padfoot named mine. I kind of like it though." Said Harry

Harry had walked back into the room at this point and the mirror shut off. Hermione asked, "What's my password? And why didn't I get a spare mirror?"

"Your password is Studdy Buddy. And you did get another mirror. The password for it is Home. Try it."

Hermione did try it and to her amazement her parents appeared in the mirror. "Mom, dad, how!?"

Harry said, "I'll explain later, talk to your parents now. It will only last for an hour before you will get cut off." Hermione did that and Harry turned to the twins. "If you promise not to tell anyone, then tomorrow Padfoot and Mooney will contact you at 10 am. They promised to answer some of your questions. Find somewhere private and have fun."

"You're…"

"…the best!" they said and both grabbed and spun Harry around until all three fell over, too dizzy to stand. Neville was laughing. They spent their time waiting for Hermione to end her call by practicing contacting the other mirrors and examining their presents. Harry shared some of the sweets that Mrs. Weasley sent. Harry explained that to end a call, you just had to push a little magic again, like a Nox.

Finally Hermione joined the group and said, "Thank you so much. How did you do that Harry? My parents aren't magical so I don't understand how the mirror can work for them. They said something about stones?"

"Yeah, I had a tricky time figuring that out. I added a rune set that would draw the magic necessary to power the mirror from specially made rune stones that store magical energy. I sent along twenty stones that have about an hour's charge each. You will have to recharge them when you go back home. I should have some more charge stones for you to take at that time. The down side to this is that they can't call you, you'll have to call them. They should have nineteen more hours of talk time left. Also the charge stones can be used more than once to make calls, so if you talk for twenty minutes you still have a forty minute 'charge' on the stone." Harry explained.

"Wow Harry, that's above seventh year in runes. You could use that as your example to get a runes mastery. How did you get so good at runes?" asked Hermione.

"I spent a lot of time over the summer learning as much as I could about runes. It seems to come naturally to me." Harry still hadn't told Hermione about the Time Turner.

"That's really amazing Harry. I love the mirror, thank you so much." Said Hermione, and gave Harry in a patented Hermione hug. The group spent the rest of the day hanging out and having lunch in the Great Hall. It was what Harry considered a full Christmas dinner and he figured it was for all the students that weren't attending the Ball. They all ended up in a snowball fight outside after the meal and Hermione excused herself about four hours before the Ball to get ready. Harry, Neville and the twins waited until they had only an hour left before the got ready. The twins were taking Angelina Johnson and Alicia Spinett. Neville had asked Ginny Weasley. He had wanted to take Hannah Abbot, but the tensions between Gryffindor and Huffelpuff were still high. The twins were giving Neville a hard time and Harry was glad that he hadn't asked Ginny. All his friends had been bugging Harry trying to get him to tell them who he was taking. Harry had been able to keep it a secret so far. Harry turned back time, took a nap, got ready and went to the Ravenclaw dorms to pick Luna up.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter Twenty Five Yule Ball

Harry made his way to pick Luna up. He was dressed in a robe in a red so dark it was almost black and had gold trimming that really showed his Gryffindor pride. There were other students waiting in the corridor outside the Ravenclaw dorms and Harry joined the crowd. Many students came and went and twenty minutes later Luna appeared. She wore a gold dress that Harry later learned was a halter dress. She had her long blond hair curled and had red ribbons in it. Harry thought that she was stunning. Harry had worn the Butter Beer cork necklace that Luna gave him and it matched the one that Luna was wearing, she was also wearing her Radish earrings and they actually complimented her look. Harry found his voice and said. "You look beautiful Luna."

"Thank you Harry Potter, you look quite handsome yourself." Replied Luna, extending her hand and Harry took it and gave it a kiss. "I'm glad you wore the necklace. It will keep the Wrackspurts away. Do you want to go down to the ball now?"

"Let's." Harry said and they started toward the Great Hall. "Of course I wore it, you gave it to me. Are you looking forward to the Ball?"

"It will be nice. Too bad the beginning will be a little rough." Luna said in her dreamy voice.

Harry had to wonder what she meant by that. He had come to realize that she knew things that she had no way of knowing, but was right so far. Maybe he would give Divination another look. Maybe not. Luna had stopped them many times during the walk down to avoid Mistletoe. Harry started to make a game of it even though he was slightly disappointed thinking that Luna didn't want to kiss him. Right before they reached the corridor outside the Great Hall, Luna stopped him and standing on her toes, kissed him on the lips. Harry was so shocked that it took him a few moments before he was able to return the kiss.

"That was nice. I'm glad that you were my first kiss Harry Potter." Luna said, and pulled him toward the Great Hall. Harry was still stunned silent.

Professor McGonagall approached Harry and Luna as they arrived. ""The champions will enter the Hall after everyone else has settled in. You will wait over there." She said, pointing to where Cedric Diggory, Cho Chang, Viktor Krum, Fleur Delacour and Roger Davies were standing. Harry was wondering where Hermione was.

As they approached the group, Cedric spoke up, "Harry, glad you made it. Who is your date?"

Before Harry could respond, Cho cut in. "She's Loony Lovegood. I can't believe that you invited this wierdo to be your date Harry."

Most of the group gave her a curious and almost angry look at her obvious insult. Everyone but Luna who still had the dreamy look on her face, and Roger Davies who had a glassy eyed look. Harry said. "That's Luna Love good, Ho… I mean Cho." It would be in your best interest to remember that." Harry just knew that Cho was one of Luna's tormenters. Cedric was getting to see what kind of person Cho really was and was starting regret asking her to be his date.

Cho spoke to Cedric. "Are you going to let him talk to me like that?"

Cedric looked uncomfortable and responded halfheartedly. "That was out of line Harry."

"I agree… she was out of line. It's OK though, apparently the Nargles have gotten to her. "Harry said and Luna gave him a big smile, Cho looked furious. Cedric looked more uncomfortable, Krum looked indifferent, Fleur looked amused, and Roger looked dazed.

This was the scene that Hermione arrived to. Krum was the first one to notice her and took her hand and gave it a kiss. "Her-Mo-Ninny, It iz a pleasure to have you join me tonight. You look beautiful."

Harry had to agree. She wore a Periwinkle blue dress and her hair was tamed for the first time since Harry had met her. "You're a lucky man Viktor, you do look beautiful Hermione. " Harry said.

A blush spread over Hermione's entire face. "Thank you, both of you. You are quite handsome yourself Harry… and you look even better Viktor." She said after seeing a frown form on Krum's face when she complimented Harry.

This seemed to mollify Krum and the smile returned to his face, or as much as a smile could form there. He said, "Her-Mo-Ninny, would you accept this as a token of my affection." And he handed her a wrist corsage of a white flower that Harry didn't recognize, which was saying something since he had been working in Petunias flower garden since he was four. "It is a Winter Lilac. It only grows in my home town." Krum finished and attached the corsage to her wrist.

Hermione's blush deepened and Harry was wondering if he should have brought Luna a corsage too. It was at this time that professor McGonagall told them that it was time to make their entrance and open the Ball. Nobody had noticed that the corridor had completely emptied out. McGonagall had them line up with Cedric and Cho in front, next was Krum and Hermione followed by Fleur and Roger. Harry and Luna were last and Harry noted that it was the same order they used for the first task. He also noted that Cho had put a smile on her face but a snarl still made an appearance. He was proud that he could get to her with just words, later he would get to her with something else. Harry couldn't figure out how someone could be mean to Luna. Sure she was odd, but she was so sweet and innocent. It would be like picking on a puppy.

A fanfare started playing and they all entered the Hall. They made their way to a table at the head of the Hall that had all the Headmasters waiting for them. There was also Ludo Bagman and instead of Percy Weasley, there was the unpleasant looking woman that was at Harry's 'trial' at the Wizengmot.

Dumbledore welcomed them to the table and invited them to sit. Harry sat between Luna and Remus, Hermione was on Remus's other side and Fleur was on Luna's. Dumbledore introduced, "Delores Umbridge , Senior Undersecretary to the Minister of Magic. She will be taking Barty Crouch's place on the judge's panel." He said.

Harry thought she looked like a toad and her pink robes were worse than anything that Dumbledore ever wore. Dumbledore sat down and Harry was surprised when the toad started to speak. "Thank you Headmaster. It is a pleasure to represent the Ministry in this fine tournament. Hopefully we can keep the unusual occurrences and cheating from continuing. It wouldn't do for the champions to win under… odd circumstances. Some… people will have to be watched closely to insure fairness for all." She said while looking at Harry, Fleur, Remus and Madame Maxime.

"Yes, thank you for that Delores." Dumbledore said looking uncomfortable for a moment, then picked up his menu.

Harry was confused by the obvious vitriol coming from Umbridge. He could see how she could be upset with him, but why did she send nasty looks to Remus, Fleur and Maxime? He would ask Remus about it later. He hard Dumbledore ask his menu for Pork Chops, and the Pork Chops suddenly appeared on his plate. Dobby had informed Harry beforehand of this way or ordering for the Ball and Harry had prepared a special surprise. Remus already knew and Harry told Luna to wait until everyone else had ordered. He whispered something into her ear and she smiled and said aloud, "Pudding and chocolate milk!"

To the shock of everyone at the table except for Remus and Harry, pudding and chocolate milk appeared before her. Everyone was surprised because pudding and chocolate milk wasn't on the menu. Remus than said aloud, "Filet Mignon, rare, roast potatoes and Brussel sprouts with bacon. Fire Whisky, aged one hundred and fifty years." More shocks as what Remus ordered also appeared before him. He took a sip of the Fire Whisky and let out a, "Oooh, smooth."

It was now Harry's turn to order and he didn't disappoint. "Farfalle with Creamy Wild Mushroom Sauce, Garlic Bread andChâteau Lafite-Rothschild 1869." Both Fleur and Maxime gasped at the last. Like the others, the requested food appeared before Harry. ' _I'll have to remember to thank Dobby and Winky for this. The looks on the others faces is priceless. I'll have to show it to Sirius in the pensive later tonight. It looks like he was right about the wine, Fleur's and Maxime's eyes are about to bug out. I hope it tastes OK_.' Everyone started to eat and Harry noticed that Hermione was giving him a look that said that they would be talking later. Harry loved the pasta and figured that he could get used to the taste of wine. Luna was enjoying her pudding and kept moaning as she ate. Harry had a little problem sitting, listening to her moans.

As the meal was halfway done, Fleur asked in a small voice, "Excuse me Mr. Potter, would it be possible to try a little of your wine?"

Maxime looked to Harry and asked. "And would I be allowed a taste too? It is an amazing vintage and I don't believe that I will have another chance to try it."

"Sure, no problem." Harry said and a bottle and two glasses appeared before Fleur and Madame Maxime. "Enjoy."

Both of the girls jaws dropped and Maxime got out. "A whole bottle!? This is too much. All I wanted was a taste." Fleur was too shocked to speak.

"Well you can share it with the rest of the table if you like. Or save it for a special occasion, like Fleur's second place finish. I have three more cases of that year."

This snapped Fleur out of her shocked silence and she said, "Hey!" There were a couple of laughs around the table at her reaction.

Krum asked, "Is it a good wine?"

Harry responded, "I don't really know. Here." and a bottle appeared in front of Krum and Cedric. "A bottle for each champion." The whole table was silent. "What? I think it's an OK wine and you all wanted to try it."

Dumbledore spoke up, "Harry…"

Harry cut him off. "That's Lord Potter, Albus."

Dumbledore had an angry expression flash on his face for just a moment. Putting a fake smile on his face, he continued. "Of course, Lord Potter. I was trying to say that the wine that you just…gifted the other champion is an extremely rare and extremely valuable one. It is inappropriate to give such a generous… gift."

"Oh Pish Tosh. I have more than I could ever drink in my possession. They are actually helping me by making some more room in my cellars. But if you are so insistent, I won't give you a bottle. Don't want to offend your sensibilities." Harry said.

Harry saw that Remus could barely hold in his laughter, Hermione looked scandalized, and the others were still staring at their bottles. Umbridge's look took on a whole new level of disgust. Cedric shocked everyone when he opened his bottle and said, "Why don't we all try my bottle and we can save the others for later?" Everyone could only nod and Cedric poured each champion, (other than Harry) Maxime, Hermione and Cho a glass that had suddenly appeared at the table. "Thank you." They all said and took a sip.

Magnifique." Said Maxime and most had to agree with her.

"I'm glad you like it." Said Harry. "Thanks Ced for letting everyone try it. How about I make the tournament a little more interesting? Whoever wins also gets three bottles, the second place winner gets two, and the third place gets one. The fourth place winner will get a case of Butter Beer?"

Umbridge was the first to respond. "That is not appropriate Mr. Potter."

"Why not?" asked Harry. "From what I understand, all the schools added something to the tournament for the champions. This will be my schools contribution. And it's Lord Potter. I would have expected a fine upstanding member of the Ministry to know better. But what do I know?"

Dumbledore cleared his throat before Umbridge could reply. "I think that that will be acceptable Mr… Lord Potter. I believe it is time for the first dance."

All the champions and their dates made their way to the dance floor. Harry was getting nervous and he looked around. Fleur looked upset with her dates vacant state and apparent inability to stand straight. Hermione and Krum looked a little stiff but better than Cedric and Cho. They looked almost as uncomfortable as Fleur and Roger. Harry didn't think that they would last as a couple. He took Luna's hand and put his other on the small of her back, holding her close. The music started and they started to move. Luna turned out to be a good dancer and Harry started to relax. Harry didn't notice when others joined on the dance floor, so lost was he in dancing with Luna.

Four songs had played before Harry really noticed and he and Luna decided to take a break. They made their way to a table that had Neville and Ginny were sitting at. "Not dancing?" asked Harry as he approached.

"Not really, no." replied Neville. Harry could see that Ginny was a little disappointed.

"Well get to it." Harry said, and made Neville stand and take Ginny to the dance floor. When Harry and Luna sat, a cup of punch materialized in front of each of them. Harry said, "Thanks Dobby." to the empty air. A plate of biscuits appeared on the table soon after that. Luna immediately attacked the plate. Harry was impressed with the absolute glee and abandon she showed. "I take it you like biscuits?" he said, chuckling.

Luna finished the one she was chewing and said, "Oh yes, these are my all time, absolute favorite. They only make them in Italy. Thank your House elf for me. Try one." She handed Harry a biscuit and he noticed that the plate was almost empty. It was a good thing he got one when he did, soon there would be none left. It was a good biscuit, and Harry made sure to thank Dobby and to get him to get more. Ten minutes later Harry and Luna were back on the dance floor.

So far it had been classical music playing, but after another half hour Dumbledore got on a stage that had been erected and introduced the Weird Sisters. The whole crowd cheered and they started to play. Luna started to jerk spasmodically and Harry thought that it should look weird but it was surprisingly perfect for the song. Harry started to move with her and lost himself in the moment again.

All the dancing made Harry very hot and he recommended to Luna that they take a walk outside to cool down. Luna agreed. The outside courtyard was turned into a winter wonderland. There was snow on the ground and it also covered the rose bushes that were added for the Ball. Harry saw many couples in various stages of making out all along the courtyard. Harry as wondering if he should try to kiss Luna, when she took the choice away from him. It might have been anywhere from one minute to one hour before Harry noticed that the kiss had ended. He desperately wanted to do that again. Harry heard a familiar voice when he regained his senses and noticed Hagrid and Maxime on a bench in front of a fountain. He tried to ignore them and noticed Luna staring at one of the rose bushes. Suddenly she drew back her hand and swatted a beetle so hard that it flew off into the distance.

She turned around with a big smile and said, "That should keep the Humdingers away for a while. Do you want to kiss again?" Harry agreed enthusiastically.

Harry, Remus and Sirius had a laugh looking at Harry's memories of the dinner. Sirius asked if Harry noticed that Draco didn't bother him during the Ball. Harry didn't realize that his Ball was pretty stress free, no Draco, Ron or Snape. Sirius was smirking so Harry asked him what he did. "I might have sent dear cousin Draco a gift that might have accidentally released a potion that causes an outrageous stink and can't be vanished or scrubbed off my magic. From what I understand, it takes twenty four hours to wear off. Apparently he was too embarrassed to attend the ball, and it looked like Snape was unable to help his precious godson." Sirius said, pointing to a mirror of the Slytherin common room, Draco was sleeping on a couch. It seemed that he smelled too much for his dorm mates. Ron apparently never left his dorm room that night either. He wasn't able to get a date and had made a fool of himself when he tried to ask Fleur to the Ball. He seemed to be hiding in his room the whole evening. Harry almost felt sorry for him…almost. Snape would never have been seen at a celebration like the Yule Ball.

Harry asked who Umbridge was and Remus explained that she was the person in the Ministry most responsible in leading the charge against what she called 'Dark Creatures', she included Werewolves, Veela, Merpeople, and Giants and a few others in this category. This explained her disgusted looks at the Yule dinner with Fleur, Maxime and Remus there. Remus explained that she was a blood purist and Fudge boot licker and would be someone that they would have to keep an eye on. Harry saw the making of more mirrors in his future.

Harry was surprised that his idea if giving Dumbledore a mirror as a present had worked. He had sent it as a gift from the Bulgarian Ministry as a thank you for hosting the Tri Wizard Tournament. He also used this as the excuse to send a mirror to Fudge too.

Remus had set up a flat in Diagon Alley using Harry's glamour neckless and the magical signature changing ring. They used the flat to store the companions to the mirrors they sent to Fudge and Dumbledore in case they were traced. Harry made sure that those mirrors could only be connected to their specific counterpart. Sirius 'hired' another House elf named Trippy to watch the mirrors and report back to them once a day, and Harry had set up a Dicta-quill in front of each mirror with a never ending bottle of ink. Harry moved several of the mirror counterparts to the flat for Trippy to watch too. So far the mirror sat in Dumbledore's office on one of his shelves. Fudge's mirror was put in his office too, but was in one of his desk drawers. Luckily the voice feature of the mirror was still working. So far neither man had spent much time in their offices that day. Harry made it to bed that night with a happy smile on his face thinking about Luna.


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter Twenty Six Horcrux Hunt

The week between Christmas and New Year passed quickly. Harry spent alot of his time with Sirius watching the mirrors. Of course he spent time with his friends too and found himself spending even more time with Luna. She had a habit of showing up at his suite after he got back from the chamber. He spent many hours practicing his make out skills with her, practice is important after all. She also had a habit of leaving before any of his friends showed up.

Harry decided to throw a New Year's Eve party for his friends in his suite. He also invited the Gryffindor Quidditch team, all the other champions, and anyone that his friends recommend he invite. He made sure that Luna would be there. Harry didn't have to worry about getting up early the next day to hunt the Horcrux because Barkaxe told him it would take a few days after the ritual to track down the next soul piece and that they would get together the next Friday. Swiftdeath had approved Harry joining them as they uncovered the Horcrux, as long as he stayed back and just observed.

During the week leading up to the holiday, Harry paid a visit to Professor Flitwick. Harry went to Flitwick's office, who was quick to answer his door and invite Harry in. "Professor, I wanted I to ask about the Fidelius charm." Harry said.

"That is quite advanced magic Mr. Potter. What is it you want to know?" asked Flitwick.

Harry answered. "It's the charm that my parents hid under when they were murdered by Voldemort." Flitwick flinched at the name. "I want to know all I can about the charm, its strengths and its weaknesses."

"Yes, I can understand that."Flitwick said. "It is an impressive piece of magic, designed to hide the secret of a fixed location inside the 'secret keeper'. The size and popularity of a location that is to be protected plays a great deal to determine the effectiveness of the charm. The owner of the property has to be the one to cast the charm. Its major drawback is you are reliant on another person. The secret keeper can not own or permanently reside at the location under the Fidelius. It is a shame that because of this neither James nor Lily could become the secret keeper if they were going to be hiding behind the charm. Instead they made the traitor Sirius Black the secret keeper and he ended up betraying them to you know who."

"Hasn't Dumbledore told you? Sirius Black was not the secret keeper. It was Peter Pettigrew who betrayed my parents." Harry said, not surprised that Dumbledore was still keeping secrets.

"How do you know this? Everyone knows that Sirius Black was the secret keeper and killed Peter Pettigrew. That is why he was sent to Azkaban for the murder of Pettigrew, the dozen muggles, and for betraying James and Lily. And what do you mean by, has Dumbledore not told me?" asked Flitwick.

Harry calmly answered Flitwick. "Professor last year I confronted Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew who is very much alive. I heard Peter admit that he was the secret keeper and betrayed my parents and framed Sirius for the murders of those muggles. Sirius let everyone believe he was a secret keeper while Peter was the true secret keeper to throw people off the scent, knowing nobody would expect him. And my parents thought he was their friend and trusted him. It turned out that Peter was a secret Death Eater and went straight to Voldemort."

Flitwick flinched again and said. "This is unbelievable Mr. Potter. Are you telling me that Sirius is innocent and the Headmaster knew this?"

"Yeah, Dumbledore knew. He talked to Sirius the night he was captured, and escaped again. I don't know if he knew it before hand or not."

"Dumbledore has not said anything to any of the staff. Who else knows that Sirius was innocent?" asked Flitwick.  
"Me, Ron, Hermione and Remus Lupin were there when Peter confessed to being the secret keeper and betraying my parents. I don't know who else Dumbledore might've told since then but I do know that the Ministry still believes Sirius is guilty."

"I am sorry Mr. Potter. Sorry for you and sorry for Sirius. How did none of this come up in his trial?"

"He never had one. He was thrown directly into Azkaban, and unlike all the people who bribed their way out, he never had a chance to defend himself. I have learned since that Barty Crouch senior was the one most responsible for sending Sirius to Azkaban without a trial. Dumbledore was the Chief Warlock at the time though."

"Those were dark times, but that is still unbelievable. If there's anything I can do to help Mr. Potter please let me know."

"I don't believe there's anything you could do but thank you. If you can get me some books on the Fidelius charm and how to cast it that would definitely help."

"I will get you something as soon as I can. There are a few books in the library but they are in restricted section. Let me write you a note to get you access, and a list of the books to look up Mr. Potter." Offered Flitwick.

"I don't need a pass but the list would be very helpful. Thank you Professor." Harry answered. "There is something you can do. It's not for me, but could you keep an eye on Luna Lovegood? I am pretty sure she is being bullied by her dorm mates."

"Ah, Miss Lovegood. You did look nice together at the Yule Ball. She has never complained to me."

"You've her Head of House and had he in class, you know that she isn't…like everyone else. She wouldn't complain even if she were to be hexed in the middle of the Great Hall. It just isn't like her. Besides, when has complaining to a teacher ever done any good at this school?".

Flitwick looked sheepish. "The Headmaster has ordered us to let the students solve their own… issues by themselves. I try to help when I can, but there a certain things I am restricted from doing."

"That is bullshit and you know it. Hogwarts is supposedly the safest place on earth, yet bullying runs rampant, apparently by the order of the Headmaster and the willing participation of the teachers. What kind of Wizards and Witches do you think you are making when they see that there are no consequences for their actions. This is a Death Eater factory." Harry practically shouted.

Flitwick looked ashamed of himself and tried to answer, "I did my best. I could lose my job if…"

Harry cut him off. "You're an international recognized Charms master and a former dueling champion. It wouldn't be hard for you to find a new job and you know it. You might have to leave Britain, but would that be a bad thing? No, you have just become one of the sheep that blindly follows whatever the top dog says." Said Harry angrily.

"I…" was all Flitwick could get out. He seemed lost in thought.

"Please just do what any self-respecting teacher should do." Harry got up and left the office. He hoped that Flitwick might help out Luna, but after that conversation he didn't have high hopes. Later that night the list of books that he asked Flitwick for was delivered by a house elf. Maybe Flitwick would help after all.

The New Year's Eve party turned out to be a great success. All the champions showed up and Cedric and Fleur both had left their Yule Ball partners behind. Harry wasn't too broken up about Cho missing his party and he didn't really know Rodger. Dobby and Winky provided food and drinks for everyone, nothing stronger than Butterbeer, and Flitwick chaperoned the party so none of the other teachers could complain about their students attending. The tension between Harry and the professor after the meeting in Flitwick's office had eased after Harry had seen him stop a Slytherin sixth year from hexing a Hufflepuff second year. Hopefully it would continue the rest of the year. Harry had invited him to the party after that.

Hermione and Krum spent most of the evening sitting in a corner, talking and Cedric spent most of the evening talking to Katie Bell. Harry figured both men liked younger girls. Who was he to complain, Luna was a year younger than him. The twins behaved themselves, or more precisely their dates made them behave for which Harry was thankful. Harry had asked Cedric if he would invite Hannah Abbot and Susan Bones who came. Neville had gotten his courage to talk to Hannah and he was spending most of the party next to her and Susan. Harry mingled but spent most of his time next to Luna and Professor Flitwick. The professor was a good conversationalist and he, Harry and Luna talked quite a bit. Luna was apparently a prodigy in charms and kept the conversation going when Harry ran out of things to say.

As the midnight hour approached, all the couples got ready for the kiss and Professor Flitwick gladly saw nothing. It surprised Harry when Neville got a kiss from both Hannah and Susan. Of course he had to hear about it later because his entire focus was on Luna at the time. The party broke up soon after that and everyone congratulated Harry on a wonderful shindig, for the first time in his life Harry was looking forward to the New Year.

The next morning, Harry was surprised to find Luna lying in his bed when he awoke. He distinctly remembered Flitwick escorting her back to the Ravenclaw common room. He also didn't remember giving her the password to his suite, and how did she get passed his wards without him knowing? He was also surprised but not shocked to find her without any clothes again.

He lay frozen in his bed until he heard Luna say, "Good morning Harry Potter. Did you sleep well?"

"Um, yeah? Luna, how… Why?" he got out.

"I wanted to see what it would be like to sleep with you. I hear other girls say that want to sleep with you and it sounded nice. It was, you are nice and warm and snuggly." Luna answered in her own particular way, snuggling up to Harry.

"When they said sleep with me, I don't think they meant actually sleeping." Said Harry.

"What did they mean then?" asked Luna.

"Never mind. How did you get in my room without ne knowing?" asked Harry.

She replied, "Oh, I just did what the Blastergums told me. You were asleep when I got here so I just went to sleep with you. Did I do something wrong?"

Not… wrong. I was just surprised to see you in my bed this morning. Some people might not be too happy with you being in my bed though, especially if you aren't wearing any clothes." Harry said. He liked the feel of Luna against him and wanted it to happen again, but didn't want Luna or himself to get in trouble.

"But I never wear clothes when I sleep in a bed, or in the woods by my house in the summer, or really anytime it is warm enough to go without. Does it upset you?" she asked.

'No… I like it. But others might not." Harry thought ' _I like it a lot_ '. Aloud he continued, "Luna I have to… go to the bathroom."

"Ok, but won't it be hard to go to the bathroom with your penis so straight and hard?" Luna asked in an innocent voice as Harry got up and made his way to the bathroom

Harry just groaned and didn't reply. After fifteen minutes he emerged after taking a cold shower. Luna was still naked in his bed and he asked. "Luna, did you bring a change of clothes? Do you want to change into them?"

"I will after I take a bath." She said and then stood up in all her glory and walked past Harry and into the bathroom.

Harry heard singing a moment later and thought that Luna was definitely a little crazy, but didn't want her to change. She did have a lovely singing voice. He needed another cold shower and debated for a moment if he should join Luna in the bath. Definitely not…. yet. He hoped that they wouldn't get in trouble for what had already happened, which was nothing really. He slept in just his pajama bottoms only from that night on, in case Luna decided to join him again though.

Harry was shocked and a little scared when he went out to his living room and saw Remus sitting there. Luna took that moment to call out that she would probably a while in the bath and that Harry should have breakfast with Mr. Wolfie. Harry was frozen and Remus wasn't much better. Luna also shouted that Stubby Boardman probably wanted to see him too and she would see him later. A moment later his mirror vibrated and it was Sirius.

Harry, Remus and Sirius had a long discussion in the chamber later that morning. Harry kept trying to calm everyone down and Sirius kept making things worse with his lewd comments. Harry was able to convince both Marauders to trust Luna in the end. Remus remembered her from teaching last year and Sirius remembered her as the little girl that fed him while he was in his animagus form the previous year. Harry wasn't too surprised to hear this, in fact it sounded exactly like something Luna would do. Sirius ended the conversation when he offered to give Harry the Little Wizards Talk. Harry ran so fast that Sirius and Remus thought that he had disaperated.

Harry avoided Sirius for the rest of the week and it was now time to hunt a Horcrux.

"We may have a problem." Barkaxe said as Harry sat down in his office that Friday.

"What kind of problem?" asked Harry.

"We have found the next fragment of soul, and it is at Hogwarts." Said Barkaxe. Harry didn't know how to respond to that and Barkaxe continued. "We believe that with your assistance we can get in to the castle, find the Horcrux, and get out undetected. You do have a way to get in and out of Hogwarts undetected, don't you?"

"Yeah… yes I do. How many people do you think it will take? I don't want to arouse any suspicion, Dumbledore might cause problems." Harry replied. He couldn't focus, his thoughts on the fact that a Horcrux has been at Hogwarts this whole time.

Barkaxe said, "We believe that there won't be too many protections surrounding the Horcrux or it would have been detected by now, so it should only take one or two cursebreakers. We will send Swiftdeath and Joshua Platt, I believe you are familiar with both of them."

"Yeah, they will be good." Replied Harry.

"We can give you a Portkey beacon for you to set up in the same location hat the Basilisk was at. Is it the same location that you have Portkeyed from in the past? You told us that it would bypass the intruder wards of Hogwarts."

""Yeah, the Chamber of Secrets is a blind spot in the Hogwarts wards. I can set up the beacon, but what about Dumbledore?"

"We can send him a request for a meeting that he can't refuse. We can time it so he will be out of Hogwarts when you and the cursebreaker's search for the Horcrux."

"That sounds like it can work. When do you want to do this?"

Barkaxe replied, "The sooner the better. Monday should be good so that most students and teachers will be in class."

"OK, what time do you want to start?"

"Nine thirty would be good. Do you want to meet Swiftdeath and Mr. Platt as Harry Potter or as Sam Underhill?"

Harry had to think about this for a minute. He had gotten to like Josh when he trained in the summer, and now that he was emancipated there was no need to keep it a secret. On the other hand, Sam Underhill could come in handy as a secret identity. "If we can have Josh sign something that will keep him from telling anyone that I am Sam Underhill, then I will meet them as Harry. Can you do that?"

"All our cursebreakers are under a non-disclosure contract, but we can have him sign another, more specific one if you like. For a fee of course."

Harry replied, "Yes, have him sign another contract please. It would make me feel better."

"Not a problem Mr. Potter. Is there anything else you would like to discuss?"

"Not that I can think of at this time. I would like to visit the Potter vault before I go."

Barkaxe called a goblin to escort Harry to his vault and told him the beacon would be ready when he was done.

It was a tense weekend for Harry and he avoided most of his friends by telling them that he was preparing for the next task. He wasn't sure they believed him but they let him be. Luna left him alone during the day but he found her in his bed when he woke every morning since New Year. Harry was OK with that. Monday came and Harry found himself in the Chamber of Secret after breakfast waiting for a goblin and a human cursebreaker. Sirius had agreed to stay at the cave in the mountains until the search as over. Harry believed that he could trust the two cursebreakers, but why take the chance.

At 9:30 exactly two people that Harry recognized appeared in the chamber. Swiftdeath just nodded at Harry and Josh approached him and shook his hand. "It is a pleasure to meet you Mr. Potter. My name is Joshua Platt and I will be assisting you and cursebreaker Swiftdeath in the search for the Dark Artifact." He said.

"We've actually met before Josh." Harry said and then activated his glamour necklace and Sam Underhill was standing in his place. Josh had a bewildered look cross his face but regained his composure quickly. Harry changed back to his normal self and said. "Sorry about the deception, but you can understand the consequences if anyone found out about Gringotts training an under age Boy-Who-Lived."

"Quite. So you are only…14? It is impressive how much you have learned in such a short time, and at your age. I thought it was strange when we first met, but strange is par for the course at Gringotts." Said Josh

Swiftdeath interrupted, "Yes, yes. Talk later, time is galleons. Let us begin the search."

"Right." Harry said and pulled out the Marauders map. Swiftdeath and Josh were impressed with the map and followed Harry up the pipe that led to Slytherin's office.

When they got to the office, Swiftdeath pulled out a golden box about the size of a Quaffle, only square. There were many runes that Harry couldn't identify on the box and only a few that he could. He knew that he still had a lot to learn. Swiftdeath examined the box and said, "It is up and North of here."

"There is another entrance to the school on the third floor. We can go back and up it or we can go through the school." Said Harry.

Let us go back and up to the other entrance. No need to risk being discovered if we don't have to." Said Swiftdeath. So they did just that.

When they got to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, she luckily wasn't there. Swiftdeath checked the box again and said. "It is still up and to the north. Leave the map with us and go up one flight and find an empty room for us to meet. When we see you on the map we will follow disillusioned and check again." They did this for every floor until they got to the seventh. "It is on this floor."

Harry realized that they were near the Gryffindor dormitory and checked the map. He noted the time and told Swiftdeath and Josh that they should wait for a few minutes because classes were about to end. As if on cue they heard a bell ring and saw many dots start to move on the map. They waited about fifteen minutes before leaving the room they were hiding in and started to search the floor.

Harry was surprised but quickly recovered when the detector said the Horcrux was behind a blank wall across from a tapestry of a wizard teaching Trolls the ballet. ' _Figures, old Tommy boy would find the Room of Requirement. I wonder what room the Horcrux is in_.' Harry thought. He then explained what the room was and did to Swiftdeath and Josh, then walked in front of it three times thinking, _'I need the room that has a Horcrux in it._ ' Surprisingly that worked. A door appeared in the wall and when Harry opened it he found himself I the room of lost things. Harry was thinking that it would take forever to locate the Horcrux.

Swiftdeath spoke up, "It is this way." And Harry and Josh followed him. It took five minutes before they stopped in front of a cabinet that looked like it had been splashed with acid and a bust of a ugly wizard that Harry didn't recognize. Swiftdeath said, "It is that Tiara." And he pointed to a beautiful bejeweled crown.

Josh gasped, "That's Rowena Ravenclaw's lost Diadem! I was in Ravenclaw and would recognize it anywhere."

"Yes, yes. It is a cursed item that we need to check now. Oogle it later." Barked Swiftdeath, and he and Josh got down to checking it and its surroundings for curses.

All they found was a weak compulsion to put on the Diadem that they were easily able to counter. Josh levitated the Diadem into a specialty made bag for transport back to Gringotts and they made their way to the entrance of the room. "That's it?" Harry asked.

"Yes. It was surprisingly easy. I figure the person who hid the Horcrux didn't have much time to set up any elaborate traps." Said Swiftdeath. "We should get back as soon as possible. Lead the way."


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter Twenty Seven Horcrux's and Prophesy's

Harry, Swiftdeath, and Joshua Platt made it back to the Chamber of Secrets with no problems. Harry bid them goodbye and they left via Portkey, taking the Horcrux and Portkey beacon with them. Just to be sure, Harry checked the chamber for any trace that might have been left behind. He found nothing and mirror called Sirius. "Hey Padfoot, you can come back anytime now. We got it pretty easily." He said.

"That's great news. When did they say they will find the next one?" asked Sirius.

"The next new moon is on the thirtieth of this month, so a few days after that. It was Rowena Ravenclaw's Diadem if you can believe it." Said Harry.

"Really? That's amazing! They're going to give it back to you after they remove the Horcrux, right? What are you going to do with it?" asked Sirius.

"Don't know. I might donate it to Hogwarts or just give it to Luna. We'll have to see how the year goes. I don't want to do anything until after Tommy boy is dealt with. I wonder how he found it? Wasn't it lost since the time of the founders?" asked Harry.

"I think so, Remus would know for sure. Tommy was a powerful wizard and disappeared from society for a few years, or so we have found out so far. Who knows what he did during that time, we'll probably never know. I think I'm going to try your gift and go to Hogsmeade before I return to the chamber. Want to come?" asked Sirius.

"I better not. Well, OK, I'll join you. See you at the Three Broomsticks in an hour?" replied Harry, changing his mind several times.

"Good pup. I'll be the handsome one in the corner. Are you going as Sam Underhill?" asked Sirius.

"No, I'm going to try another persona. I'll answer to Gary and you'll be Bob." Said Harry.

"Bob? I want to be Reginald Worthigton the third."

Sirius answered petulantly.

"Nope, you're Bob. As in Bob's your uncle." Said Harry.

"Ha! Ok , I'll be Bob. I'll have to create the proper disguise. Should I be blond? Yup, I'll ne blond. I hear they have more fun." Said Sirius.

"Maybe be a brunette then. You have too much fun as it is, you need to save some for the rest of us." Retorted Harry.

"Nope, I'm going to be blond. See you soon." Sirius said, and the mirror cut off.

When Harry got to the Three Broomsticks, Sirius wasn't in the corner like he said. He was at the bar chatting up Rosmerta, the barmaid. Sirius was in fact blond and was dressed like a Pureblood in Slytherin green. This would work because Harry was in the same persona he used in Borgin & Burkes, and the two of them looked like they could be related. Harry walked up to the bar and joined the conversation. "…the ghoul stole the cauldron!" finished Sirius.

Rosmerta laughed and Harry wondered what the joke was that ended in that odd punchline. "Hello cousin Bob." Harry drawled in his most snooty voice.

"Cousin Gary! Good of you to come. This lovely lady is Rosmerta. Rosmerta my dear, this is my cousin Gary," Sirius said, slapping Harry on the shoulder.

"Hello cousin Gary." Rosmerta said with a smile on her face. "Can I get you anything?"

"He'll have a Butter Beer, and I'll have another Firewhisky. He's paying so make it the good stuff." Sirius said, cutting off Harry's reply. Rosmerta poured the drinks and Harry and Sirius found a table in a quiet corner. "So pup, how do I look?"

"Like an uglier version of me. The disguise seems to be going well." Answered Harry.

"Hey! You're just jealous of my perfection. It shines through, even under a glamour. It's working good so far, I might even get lucky tonight." Sirius said, taking a sip of his Firewhisky. Steam escaped his ears and he said "Nice." They talked for a few hours and left back to the chamber. Sirius was alone.

Over the next few weeks Harry got back into his routine. Luna stayed in his bed every weekend and Harry was enjoying her company. Harry still attended most of his Charms, Transfiguration and Runes classes. He actually attended some of the more advanced Rune classes too. He attended just a few of his Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures classes and was still skipping Potions. Defense against the Dark Arts classes had resumed with retired Auror who was almost as ancient as Dumbledore. All he did was have the students read from the book. Harry skipped this class and trained with Sirius or Remus in the chamber during the time he would normally be in his regular classes, learning more than what he would be able to in a regular class. He didn't want to use the Time Turner too much because he aged with its use.

He had successfully completed his rune stone mapping project of the Black Lake. Harry had evenly spread stones all over the lake that would detect life, being able to distinguish between human, Mermish and fish. The Squid also showed up differently, so did the Grindylow's. Harry was surprised with how many Grindylow's there were in the lake. The stones worked in two ways. The first was by using another stone to find the highest concentration of a particular form of life and the second was by showing up on a map Harry created that showed what was by each stone. Harry spent many hours exploring the lake with the twins who enjoyed helping Harry train. They also used this time to try out their inventions. Neville sometime joined them but spent most of his time exploring the underwater vegetation. They usually did this on the weekend and entered the lake on the far side to keep their training hidden. All of them loved the underwater broom and called it the Nautilus. Neville even liked it because if he fell off he just floated away.

Time went on and the new moon had just passed and Harry received a note from Barkaxe a few days later to meet in his office right away. Harry arrived the same day and found himself being led, not to Barkaxe's office, but to Ragnok's. Barkaxe, Ragnok, Swiftdeath and a goblin Harry didn't recognize were already in the office. Harry waited until he invited to sit and didn't say anything until asked to. After a moment Ragnok noticed him and told him to sit. "We have discovered a problem with the last Horcrux. It was in one of our vaults."

Harry had to think about this. He said, "Does this mean that we can't get to it?"

"Not at all Mr. Potter." Said Barkaxe. "All our vault contracts have a clause that states that certain objects, including anything involving soul magic is forbidden from being stored in a vault, unless given prior permission. By storing a Horcrux in the vault, the… client has forfeited the object and must clear the vault in question in thirty days. If the… client doesn't empty said vault in the given time, it will be confiscated by Gringotts. Unfortunately the owner of the vault is serving a life sentence in Azkaban and won't be able to clear out the vault in time." All the Goblins had a tooth filled grin at this. "It is a shame that we have to do this." Harry didn't think it would too much of an imposition on the Goblins. "We already have the Horcrux in our possession."

"What is it?" asked Harry.

"Helga Hufflepuff's cup. As per the contract it will be returned to you after it has been cleansed. Since we discovered it in one of our vaults, a clear violation of our contracts, we will gift it you and give you one percent of the total value of what is in the vault. It will have to be after the thirty days have passed." Said Barkaxe.

Ragnok spoke up at this time. "It is our way of saying thank you, for bringing this abomination in our realm to light. We are conducting a search of all our vaults to search for other forbidden items as we speak. We have not done this in centuries so it is long overdue."

"Will this cause any problems for Gringotts?" asked Harry nervously.

"We will abide by all contracts and treaties. If there are any problems, they won't be on our part. We have already searched your vaults and found nothing to invalidate your vault contract with us, just so you know." Said Ragnok.

"That's good." Harry gulped out. "Will you still be able to search for the next Horcrux if you are searching all the vaults?"

Barkaxe answered, "It will be tight but we will get it done. Do not worry Mr. Potter. You will have to sign a new contract though. We will do that later in my office."

"Sure, no problem. Was there another reason we are having this meeting in the director's office instead of yours" asked Harry.

Ragnok answered him, "Yes there is. With the discovery of the latest Horcrux, there are only two more left before Tom Riddle is mortal once more. We want to ask you to keep us informed to your progress in his defeat. The fate of Tom Riddle is of great concern to the Nation."

Harry knew that this was an order and not a request. He had no problem keeping the goblins informed and said, "I would be happy to. So far I believe that when the Horcrux's are destroyed that he will simply die finally. Is there a way to tell if he is really gone?"

Swiftdeath answered, "He has never had a vault with Gringotts, so we won't be able to verify his passing. I believe that with the destruction of his original body, the verification process we use would have already shown him as dead. There is no way to tell though."

"OK. Is there any other way?" asked Harry.

Barkaxe answered this time. "The Nation has no way, but the Wizarding world might. The Department of Mysteries would be your best chance."

This had reminded Harry about the Unspeakable that approached him after his trial. He had ignored the request for a meeting so far, but maybe it was time to go. He would ask Sirius and Remus when he got back. "I'll look into it. Thank you for the advice, and not chagrining me for it." Ragnok laughed and Barkaxe looked a little nervous. Harry hoped he didn't get him in trouble.

Ragnok spoke after his laughing ended. "You may go now Mr. Potter. Follow Barkaxe to his office to finish your business." There was no ambiguity in this statement

Harry left the office, following Barkaxe, but before he walked through the door he said. "You might want to start your search with the Malfoy vaults."

When Harry got back to the chamber, he was glad that Sirius and Remus were both there. "Sirius, guess what?"

"What?" Sirius answered back.

"The next Horcrux was in one of the Gringotts vaults. They already have it and are going to close the vault. It was Hufflepuff's cup, and I get one percent of the value of the vault in a month." Harry said excitedly.

"'Really? Wow! That's great?" asked Sirius.

Remus asked, "Whose vault was it in?"

"I don't know. The goblins wouldn't say and I didn't want to ask. The meeting was in Ragnok's office and I didn't want to pry." Answered Harry.

"Ragnok, really. It must have been a big deal." Said Remus.

"Yeah it was. They are now searching all the vaults looking for things that violate the vault contracts. They told me that the Potter vaults are clear."

"That will cause a stir in the Ministry. I better go check the Black Vaults before they get to them. I bet my loving family has something that would violate the contract." Said Sirius.

"Barkaxe mentioned that if you get permission from Gringotts, you can keep restricted items in your vault. If you go to your account manager, he might be able to get you that permission. Ragnok seems to like me, so if you say that you are my Godfather, it might help. If you need to, say that I will give up my one percent for it." Said Harry.

"You don't have to do that pup. I'm sure that if nothing else, I can move all the dark objects to a new vault, so if they confiscate that vault, it won't matter." Said Sirius.

"The one percent doesn't matter to me. I don't even know how much it could be. Offer it if you need to. Now the real reason that I wanted to talk to both of you is that we need to find a way to make sure that Tommy boy is really dead after we destroy the Horcrux's. I already asked the goblins and they don't have a way to tell. They did mention the Dept. of Mysteries. That reminded me of the Unspeakable. I was going to ignore it but maybe it would be a good idea to go now. What do you think?" asked Harry.

Remus was the first to respond, "If you are safe, it would probably be a good idea to go. The Unspeakable's were able to keep out of most of the fighting in the last war so hopefully there aren't any Voldemort supporters with them. You should probably take Ted or Andromeda Tonks with you when you go though."

"That's probably a good idea." Said Sirius. "I agree that you should go. I wish I could go with you, but…"

"Yeah. Hopefully we can find the rat and get you free soon. I'll write to Ted and ask him to go with me. Any progress with the mirrors?" asked Harry.

"As a matter of fact there is." Said Sirius. "Dear old Lucy has bribed… I mean donated to the re-election fund of Fudge to pass a piece of legislation that forbids anyone under twenty one from sitting on the Wizengamot. He hopes that if t passes that it will retroactively remove you from claiming your seat. I put Ted on it and he believes that it won't pass as long as we start on getting the vote early. The mirrors are definitely coming handy. Lucy also has a meeting in a few days with one of his underworld contacts. Hopefully we can get something on him. What do you want to do with the information when we get it?"

"I don't know. Is there anyone at the Ministry we can trust to do something about him? Or do you think he will just bribe his way out again?" asked Harry.

"Dora says that Amelia Bones is trustworthy, but you are right about Lucius bribing his way out of trouble. Maybe if we can make it public when he gets caught he won't be able to bribe his way out too easily. Now that you have controlling interest in the Prophet, it will print the truth." Remus answered.

"Dora?" Sirius said teasingly. "When have you talked to my little cousin, you cradle robber."

Remus's face reddened and he said. "Shut up you mangy mutt. I just talked to her when she came to Harry's house."

"And was anyone else at the house when she visited?" Sirius teased, piling it on Remus. Remus didn't say anything and Sirius started singing. "Mooney and Tonksie sitting in a tree, N…" He never finished the song because Remus had pulled his wand and was chasing Sirius, firing spells.

Harry let this go on for a few minutes before he stopped the chase. It took him so long because he was laughing too hard at Sirius's new look. His clothes had become blue with red stripes. His hair was green, he had elephant ears, and he had a donkey's tail sprouting out the back of his pants. "Anyt…anything else?" Harry said still chuckling.

Remus answered, "Dumbledore has had a meeting wth Umbridge and Bagman about the hostages for the second task."

"Really? What did they say." Asked Harry, interested in who would be picked.

"Dumbledore is intending to use Ron Weasley as your hostage," answered Remus.

"Is he crazy!? Never mind, we know he is. I can't believe that he thinks that I would miss Ron. I'm now torn, do I want to rescue my hostage?" said Harry.

"You could always accidently let him drown on the way back." Offered Sirius.

Remus looked disappointed. "You know that you will rescue your hostage, no matter who it is. Isn't it a good thing that it won't be Luna?"

"Yeah, wait what? Why would you say Luna is the one I would miss most?" said Harry.

"Oh come on pup. It's obvious that you are smitten. I still believe that you share a bed on the weekends?" Sirius said giving Harry a hard time.

Harry's face was red now and Remus saved him. "The other champions are going to have their date to the Yul Ball as their hostage. At least Cedric and Krum will. Umbridge insisted that a pureblood not be a hostage to a 'half breed. Dumbledore said he would look for another hostage. Umbridge tried to use the same argument with your hostage but Dumbledore insisted on Ron. I don't think that Umbridge likes the Weasley's too much because she gave in easily."

Harry thought that Cedric would be upset because he had ended it with Cho. It also meant that Hermione was going to be Krum's hostage. He would have to tell her and let her decide what she wanted to do with the information. So far he had been able to keep the Rune mapping of the lake a secret from her. He knew that she would consider it cheating, even if it wasn't forbidden in the rules. It has been hard on Neville keeping it from her. He would think about what to do. "You're right. I'll have to save the git. So what are we going to do to liven up the event?"

Remus excused himself at this point, claiming plausible deniability and Harry and Sirius got to planning. Harry would also consult the Weasley twins too. They had been in contact with Sirius and Remus but didn't know that Sirius was hiding right under their feet.

Harry and Ted Tonks had agreed to visit the Department of Mysteries late on a Saturday night to avoid too many people at the Ministry. Andromeda was going to stay in the Potter's Wizengamot office as a cover for their visit. As they approached the entrance of the Department of Mysteries, Harry was getting nervous. Ted reassured him by saying, "It will be fine. No one saw us come down here and Andromeda will cover for us upstairs."

"I know, it's just nerves." The arrived at the entrance and Harry knocked and said aloud, "Unspeakable Lassiter."

Nothing happened for a few minutes and before Harry could ask Ted a question, the door opened and a man/woman opened the door. Harry couldn't tell what the person was and when… it spoke, the voice gave nothing away either. "Lord Potter, It has been a long time since we gave you the note to visit us. We said it was urgent. Why have you delayed?"

"I…I wasn't sure if I would even come. I don't make it a habit to follow instructions given to me by a stranger, especially one so vague." Harry said, regaining some of his confidence at the end.

"Not a totally unreasonable response, but it is in your best interest to take this meeting. You are here now so we shall proceed. I am sorry but Mr. Tonks will have to stay behind." Said the Unspeakable.

Before Harry could argue, Ted said, "It's not a problem Harry. I will wait right here for you. How long do you think it will take?" This last he said to the Unspeakable.

"Our business should take no more than twenty to thirty minutes." Replied the Unspeakable.

Harry said to the Unspeakable, "I had another question for you so it might take a little longer." Turning to Ted he said. "Why don't you go up to Andromeda's office and wait for me there. I'll be fine."

The Unspeakable said, "I don't know if we will be able to answer your question Lord Potter. We _are_ the Department of Mysteries." Harry couldn't tell if he just made a joke or was serious.

Ted said, "Right… I'll see you soon. Good luck." Ted made his way back to the elevators and Harry followed the Unspeakable into the department.

The Unspeakable spoke. "Follow me Lord Potter and don't touch anything. I have something to show you and we will discuss it in my office afterward."

Harry followed through rooms filled with strange and wondrous things. The first room he entered was filled with doors and torches with blue flames. As soon as the door he entered from closed, the whole room started spinning. Harry was dizzy and felt like he might throw up, but followed the Unspeakable when he opened another door. The next room was filled with a huge fish tank that had…were those brains? Harry avoided looking too closely and wondered what they were for. The next room he entered was full of clocks. There were every sort of clock imaginable, from pocket watches to Grandfather clocks. There was even a clock face that seemed to come off a clock tower. The most amazing thig Harry saw was a bell jar that had an egg in it. The egg hatched and a beautiful blue bird flew to the top. After it got to the top, it dropped back and became the egg again. Harry was fascinated by it and had stopped to watch the progress. The unspeakable coughed to get his attention and Harry started to follow… it again. He noticed a cabinet full of Time Turners before he left the room.

When they both stepped into the next room, the Unspeakable said. "Welcome to the Hall of Prophecies, the reason for your visit. Follow me."

The room was full of wooden shelves with glowing glass orbs, it was bigger than the eye could see. Harry followed the Unspeakable as he went down the aisles. The Unspeakable finally stopped at a shelf with many glowing orbs. Harry noticed that not all the orbs were still glowing and told himself to ask about it later. The Unspeakable pointed to a particular orb that had a tag under it that said 'S.P.T to A.P.W.B.D. Dark Lord and (?) Harry Potter' "Take it Lord Potter" the Unspekable said and Harry did. As soon as he lifted it away from the shelf, Harry heard…


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter Twenty Eight Mysteries and Second Tasks

'…as the seventh month dies.' "What the fuck!" exclaimed Harry, his mind racing after hearing the prophecy. His first thought was confusion. ' _What did it mean? Does it mean me? Of course it does, my name was on the label. Who does_ _S.P.T and A.P.W.B.D. stand for? Could it be Dumbledore? Does he know the prophecy? Did he know the prophecy and not tell me? DID HE KNOW THE PROPHECY AND NOT HELP ME?_ ' Harry thoughts kept getting angrier and angrier, and the chance of Dumbledore every being trusted again became so small it would take an electron microscope to see it.

The Unspeakable cleared his throat. Harry decided to refer to it as him. "Let us take this discussion to my office Lord Potter."

Harry just nodded and followed. He didn't pay attention to his journey, he was so lost in thought and before he knew it, he was in a non-descript office. Non-descript would be giving the office too much praise, the office had no personal touches and only had a grey desk with two grey chairs and a grey filing cabinet, there were no portraits or paintings on the grey walls and the floor was a grey granite. Harry took a seat without being told to and thought that he would hate to work in a place like this.

As the grey robed Unspeakable sat, he said. "As you heard Lord Potter, you are the prophesied one to defeat the Dark Lord. Since the orb is still lit, it means that the prophecy hasn't been fulfilled yet." Harry didn't respond to this. "It means that Voldemort is still alive."

This did get a response from Harry. "Yeah, yeah, I know. I've met him a few times." Harry couldn't tell is this surprised the Unspeakable or not and he continued. "What does the prophecy mean exactly?"

"I am no expert but I believe it means that you kill Voldemort or he kills you. That your scar means he has marked you and that you know or can do something that he can't. It might have been another child who was born in July but your taking of the orb confirms that it is you. Anyone trying to take an orb who is not mentioned in it or was not the one it was given to would find themselves cursed." Said the Unspeakable.

This brought Harry up short." Is this why there was a question mark next to my name? And if it wasn't me, I would have been cursed? You would have allowed me to be cursed?"

"We were sure that it referred to you." The Unspeakable replied, not reassuring Harry in the least.

"Whatever. Was the prophecy given to Dumbledore, and who is S.P.T." asked Harry.

"It was given to Dumbledore and S.P.T is Sybil Patricia Trelawne. We were told that Voldemort has heard the first few lines if the prophesy, but not the full thing. We believe that if he had, he might not have gone after you on that Halloween night." Replied the Unspeakable.

Harry had to think on this for a moment. ' _Dumbledore knew the prophecy and knew that Voldemort knew part of it too and did nothing to help my parents and has done nothing to help me. I'm going to bury him right next to Voldemort. So I have to be the one to kill Tommy boy? Great! NO problem, a teenager against the greatest dark lord in recent history. Easy Peasy. I guess this is what Dumbledore meant when he said Trelawne gave another real prophecy. Stupid cow can't keep things to herself_.' Aloud he said, "Do you know what the power it spoke of is?"

"We have no idea. We were hoping that you might tell us." Said the Unspeakable.

"No clue. Maybe it is my ability to have fate mess with me." Snarked Harry.

"Yes, well, that is all we had to tell you so you will have a chance to prepare. I will show you out now." Said the Unspeakable, starting to stand.

"Wait a minute, I have a question for you." Harry said and the Unspeakable sat back down. "Thank you. I need to know if there is any way to tell if Voldemort, also known as Tom Marvolo Riddle, has been killed permanently?"

"That would depend on how Mr. Riddle was survived the destruction of his body, there might be a way." The Unspeakable said mysteriously.

Harry noticed the name didn't faze the Unspeakable and he thought that they knew who Voldemort was all along. "I happen to know how he did it." answered Harry. He had internally debated telling the Unspeakable anything about Horcrux's, but decided to because he figured that a supporter of Voldemort wouldn't have told him about the prophecy.

"Really!" said the Unspeakable.

Harry could tell that the Unspeakable was excited to learn how Voldemort had done this. "Yes. I will tell you if you tell me how I can tell when Riddle is dead permanently."

"I can agree to that. How has Mr. Riddle cheated death thus far?" Asked the Unspeakable.

"Seven words. Horcrux, Horcrux, Horcrux, Horcrux, Horcrux, Horcrux, and Horcrux." Replied Harry.

The Unspeakable was quiet and Harry wondered if he knew what a Horcrux was. He was about to explain what he knew of them when the Unspeakable said. "Are you saying that he has created seven Horcrux's?

"Yes, but if it makes you feel better I have destroyed five of them so far." Said Harry.

Tis statement caused the first reaction in the Unspeakable that Harry could notice. The Unspeakable stood up and went to the grey filing cabinet and tapped it with his wand that Harry didn't see him draw. The cabinet opened and the Unspeakable withdrew a folder and sat back down. He showed Harry a few pictures and handed them to him. "Are any of these a Horcrux's you have destroyed?" asked the Unspeakable.

Harry looked at the pictures. One was a golden locket with an emerald snake on the cover, one was of a shield with a lion in red carved into it, one was a gold cup with a carving of a badger, and one was a broach in silver and diamonds with a blue raven in sapphires in the center. Harry still hadn't seen Huffelpuff's cup yet, but he knew that the cup in the picture was what it looked like. Harry laid the picture of the cup on the table and said. "This was one of the Horcrux's I have had destroyed. Are all of these founders objects? Why did you assume one of them might be a Horcrux?"

The Unspeakable took the picture and said. "We have done research on the Dark Lord and have found evidence of him coming into possession of two of the items I have shown you. The other two are pictures of founder's objects that have disappeared from public view in the last few hundred years. There are other well known founder's objects, like the Sword of Gryffindor or Ravenclaws Diadem, but the Diadem hasn't been seen since the time of the founder's and the Sword of Gryffindor is at Hogwarts. We have checked it out and know that it has no dark magic on it. A Horcrux would have shown up as dark magic. We know that Mr. Riddle is a descendant of Slytherin and might try to collect the founders treasures for himself."

Harry thought that that made sense. Deciding to not mention the Diadem, he asked, "How can you be certain that Riddle is really a descendant of Slytherin? I know he can speak Parseltounge, but so can I."

"The way we know is the same way that we will be able to tell if he finally dies." Said the Unspeakable.

This got Harry attention. "How?"

"I will have to get authorization to show you, but I can tell you now. We have in our possession the Slytherin Family Tapestry." Harry had no ideas what a family tapestry had to do with anything. The Unspeakable noticed his confused looks and explained. "A family tapestry is a magical artifact that shows all member of a particular family. All fathers, sons, daughters, sisters, brothers, wives, husbands, and even bastard children and their families. The last direct descendant of Slytherin is one Tom Marvolo Riddle."

Harry wondered if the Potters had a tapestry like that. He would have to do a search as soon as he got back home. "That is amazing, but how will that be able to help with telling if Riddle is dead?"

"One of the features of the tapestry is that it shows the date of birth and the date of death for everyone o it. An odd thing showed up under Tom Marvolo Riddle's name, it showed he died then his name appeared directly under it again. This has occurred five times so far. The first death was on October 31st, 1981. His Second death was on May 28th, 1993, the third on December 8th, 1994, the fourth on January 7th, 1995, and the last one was today. His name has appeared on the tapestry again so we know he is still alive, and now that you have told me about the Horcrux's, we know why it still appears. I believe that if you destroy all the Horcrux's, and his original soul, that his name will no longer appear on the tapestry." Finished the Unspeakable.

That was a lot to take in but Harry had to agree with the assessment of the Unspeakable. He still wanted to see the tapestry and said. "I hope your right, I will need to see the tapestry for myself, but if it is as you say, it should tell us if Riddle is truly dead. All of the dates you mentioned sound about right for when a Horcrux was destroyed too. I guess that when a Horcrux is destroyed that a part of him dies, that is why it shows as a death on the tapestry."

"That is what I believe, yes." replied the Unspeakable.

"Is there another way to tell, in case we are wrong?" asked Harry.

"I believe that the prophecy orb will go dark once the prophecy has been fulfilled. If either you or Mr. Riddle are dead then it should go dark." Answered the Unspeakable.

"OK. Is there anything else that you or your department can do to help me with destroying Riddle? And why did you contact me now?" asked Harry.

"That would violate our mandate Lord Potter. I am skirting the rules by telling you as much as I am. I will keep an eye out and if I can assist without violating our rules, I will let you know. As for letting you know about the prophecy now, you have been emancipated and are considered an adult. It is our policy to not contact minors and not make arrangements through a third party, such as a magical guardian. Since you are an adult now, we could contact you." Said the Unspeakable.

"Well I appreciate what you have done so far. I now know why Riddle is after me and might have a way to tell if he will really be gone. Thank you." Harry said and stood up as the Unspeakable ushered him out of the office. The walk out of the Department of Mysteries passed quickly and made Harry wonder what the department actually did. Harry made his way up to the Potter Wizengamot office without being seen, Saturday night was a good time to sneak around the Ministry he thought. While he, Ted and Andromeda were in the office they discussed some of the upcoming legislation before they left for home. Might as well use the opportunity to get some business done.

When Harry got back to the chamber he found Sirius and Remus impatiently waiting. "OK pup, what happened?" asked Sirius.

"Hello Mooney. How are you doing?" Harry said ignoring Sirius, knowing it would drive him crazy.

Remus saw what Harry was doing and played along. "I am doing just fine Harry, and you?"

"Perfectly fine. I am a little tired, but what can you do?" said Harry.

"I can imagine. You should go to sleep early tonight." Said Remus.

"Good idea, there's nothing that should keep me up too late." Replied Harry.

Sirius couldn't take it anymore and blurted out, "WHAT HAPPENED!?"

Harry turned to him and said, "That was rude. I don't know if I want to tell you now." Turning to Remus, he said, "Can you believe how rude some people are?"

Sirius had a startled look on his face and both Harry and Remus burst out laughing. "Funny, you idiots." Grumbled Sirius.

When he stopped laughing, Harry said, "The meeting went well. Hopefully they have something that can tell when Tommy is dead for real. They also told me why he came after me in the first place…" They talked for several hours, Harry telling both men all that happened in the Department of Mysteries. They discussed what they are going to do moving forward and Harry left in the early morning hours to go back to his suite, He found Luna asleep in his bed waiting for him. He had a smile on his face as he fell asleep, even after hearing the prophecy.

The weeks leading up to the second task passed without anything dramatic happening at Hogwarts. The greater wizarding world however was in an uproar. The news of the goblins closing and confiscating vaults had sent many a pureblood screaming to the Ministry. Harry and Sirius had a good laugh watching Lucius storm around his house cursing the goblins, they had found many dark artifacts in his many vaults and confiscated them and told him to collect the rest in thirty days or they would confiscate the rest of the vaults content's. Lucius was furious at having to close out all of the Malfoy vaults and having to pay exorbitant fees to reopen them. He had decided to hide most of the money to keep it away from goblin hands and Harry and Sirius listened carefully to him as he made his plans. ' _It would be a shame if something happened to the money'_ , Harry and Sirius thought at the same time.. Lucius seemed to spend a large part of his days in the Ministers office trying to get him to declare war on the goblins. Delores Umbridge seemed to think that that was a good idea and added her voice to the argument for war. Fudge was too weak a person to make any sort of decision and put it off saying that it would be decided in the Wizengamot meeting scheduled for March 3rd. This also had the side benefit of causing Dumbledore to deal with his Chief Warlock duties so he was out of the castle most of the time. Anything that kept Dumbledore out of his hair was a good thing. Harry thought of writing to Barkaxe but decided that he was probably too busy right now. Harry did write Ted Tonks and had him make the Daily Prophet spin it that the goblins were only getting rid of dark artifacts and that anyone who made a big deal about it probably had something to hide. He had them print what type of objects that were being confiscated and explained their dark nature. Most of wizarding society seemed to be OK with the confiscations after reading about it in the paper. Most of wizarding society are sheep.

Harry continued to train with Sirius and Remus, and he started to help train Hermine Neville, the twins and Luna in some of the things he had learned already. He found it was good practice to teach what he learned, it made him understand the subject better. They all seemed to appreciate the extra help, and the twins kept asking for his help in their pranks. Hermione just loved to learn. Harry noticed that she was spending more and more time with Krum, Harry wished her well. He still hadn't mentioned that she was going to be Krum's hostage in the second task, and it was starting to wear on him. He decided to tell her two days before the task.

Neville was showing more and more confidence, even though his casting still had problems. Harry could tell that Neville knew the material but something was holding him back, he just couldn't figure out what. Luna didn't say much during the training sessions but she got the spell right the fastest, even faster than Hermione. She wasn't exactly shy around the others but Harry noticed that she didn't get into many conversations; she seemed to observe more than anything. She also had a habit of annoying Hermione with talk of the creatures apparently only she could see. The twins loved it though and started to tease Hermione with them.

It was now the morning of the second task and Harry awoke to find Luna in his bed again, even though last night was a Thursday. "Good morning Harry Potter." She said.

"Good morning Luna." Harry replied. He knew better than to ask why she was there, she just was. He was also glad that Dumbledore had insisted on Ron being the hostage for the second task. "Are you looking forward to watching the second task?"

"Not really, It will be quite boring sitting with my fellow Ravenclaw's and looking at the water. Your surprise will be exciting, but I will have to wait for it all alone." Answered Luna.

Harry didn't bother asking how she knew about his surprise and he said. "You could always sit with the Weasley twins. They are always good for a laugh. Do you want the bath first or should I go in now?"

"You should go first. You have more to do today than I do." Luna said and pulled the covers up over her head.

At breakfast, Harry noticed that Hermione was nowhere to be seen, neither was Ron. Looking around Harry noticed that Cho Chang was also gone. Harry couldn't tell who Fleur's hostage was; Dumbledore never discussed the choice in his office. Harry had told Hermione that she was going to be Krum's hostage two days ago and her reaction was a little better than Harry expected. She seemed to blush when Harry told her that she was who Krum would miss the most. Harry didn't tell her that she was chosen just because she was his date to the Yule Ball. They had been getting along very well together and she might actually be who Krum would miss the most. Harry also didn't tell her about the rune map yet. He promised himself that he…might tell her after the task.

Turning back to his breakfast, Harry nibbled at it. He wasn't really nervous; he had prepared and had his plan all set. No, he was more interested in watching the other champion's reactions. Cedric looked confused, he as looking around and Harry figured that he was wondering who was chosen as his hostage. Krum kept looking at the Gryffindor table, Harry knew he was looking for Hermione. His expression was his normal scowl. Fleur on the other hand did look nervous. She kept looking at her watch and at her Headmistress. Harry wondered who her hostage was to get such a reaction.

All the classes had been cancelled that day and the students were milling around the entrance hall as Harry left. He made it back to his suite to prepare for the task, putting his swimming outfit on under his robe and attaching the belt that Remus had given him for Christmas. He had everything he would need in the pouches. He checked his rune map and saw that Ron, Hermione, Cho, and someone named Gabrielle Delacour were in the Mermaid village.

There was a knock on his door and a second year Gryffindor told him that it was time to go down to the Black Lake. When Harry arrived, he looked to the Lake and saw that they had built the stand all along one side of the shore. He spotted the twins and nodded to them. They nodded back and Harry knew that they had successfully set up his prank. This time he needed help setting it up beforehand and the twins were more than happy to participate. Harry joined the other champions in front of the Judge's box and wondered how they were going to judge the event since all they could see was the surface of the lake. Harry thought that whoever came up with the tasks deserve to lose their job. All the Judges were there and Harry waved to Remus and blew a kiss at Madame Maxime. He noticed the scowl on Umbridge's face increase in intensity. This made Harry only smile more.

Ludo Bagman stood up and using a sonorous charm, announced. "Welcome ladies and gentlemen, to the second task of the Tri Wizard Tournament!" He let the applause go on for a moment then continued. "Our four champions have had something precious take from them and hidden somewhere in the Black Lake."

Harry thought, ' _Something precious? If I could leave him down there I would._ '

Bagman continued. "The champions have an hour to find their precious thing and return to the shore. On the sound of the cannon, the second task will start!"

Applause filled Harry's ears right before he heard the cannon. All the other champion's immediately dove into the lake and Harry slowly removed his robe on the shore. Some of the audience started to laugh and boo him. Harry pulled the broom from one of the pouches and mounted it. He flew over the lake and when he got to the point that he was over the Mermaid village, he dived into the water. Harry couldn't tell but the whole crowd gasped as he disappeared under the surface. Luna had turned to watch the clouds as soon as Harry was in the water.


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter Twenty Nine Another One Down

The twins had perfected modifying the Gillyweed into pill form. One pill lasted twenty minutes and Harry had a good supply of them with him. Using the rune stone, Harry followed the signal until found the hostages. It was a creepy scene and at first Harry thought that they were all dead. Shaking that thought away, he approached them and saw everyone he was expecting. Gabrielle Delacour turned out to be a miniature version of Fleur and Harry figured she must be her younger sister. Cho and Hermione floated around and Ron was there annoying Harry with his presence alone. Taking out a knife from another pouch on his belt, he cut the vines keeping Ron from floating away. Looking around, he noticed that there was nothing nearby that could easily cut the vines and tried to remember back and didn't think that any of the other champions had a knife on them. He decided to leave the knife below the hostages, and taking another look at Hermione, took off back to the shore. He knew that once he breached the surface that Ron would wake up so he decided to take the trip back underwater, he also had over ten minutes left on the pill. On his way back to the shore he encountered Fleur being attacked by a swarm of Grindylows. After thinking it over for a moment, he sent a spell that took out several of the water demons. This had allowed Fleur to escape and she gave a nod of thanks to Harry before swimming off. Harry had five minutes left so he started for the shore again. As he felt the effects of the Gillyweed wear off, he broke the surface fifteen feet from the shore and dragged Ron by the vine still attached to his leg to the Judges box. He said, "Which idiot thought that I would miss this git? This was a stupid excuse for a task and you should all be ashamed of yourselves. Look how bored the audience is. I'll help with that."

He sent the signal that set off his and Sirius's prank. Music started playing, this time it was Queen's 'We Will Rock You.' There were fireworks again, this time from the stands, and the robes of all the students in the stand changed colors to spell out F.U. All the students in the stands also started to stomp their feet and clap along with the song involuntarily. They would stop and their clothes would change back when the song ended, but until then it was hilarious watching the faces of the students, especially the Slytherin's. Certain robes would stay with the F.U. permanently though, especially the Slytherin's.

Harry had completed his task well under thirty minutes and now had to wait for the other to finish, so he mounted his broom and flew about until all the champions emerged from the lake. Luna waived to him, somehow unaffected by the prank.

It was about thirty minutes later that Cedric emerged with a spluttering Cho clinging to his shoulders. He took another ten minutes before he made it to the shore and was immediately pounced upon by Madame Pomfrey. Harry had managed to avoid her tender care by returning so fast that she wasn't ready. While Cedric was swimming to shore, Krum emerged with Hermione. Harry saw the end of the partial self-transfiguration of a shark that Krum had used to complete the task, Harry was impressed. Krum made it to shore only two minutes after Cedric and now everyone was looking at the water waiting for Fleur to emerge.

Fleur had decided to do what Harry did and emerged only ten feet from the shore. Harry thought that was smart for as soon as she had awoken, Gabrielle had thrashed around quite a bit. She was hysterical and Harry had to wonder if she was a willing hostage or not. Leave it to Dumbledore to screw with another person. Fleur was fifteen minutes over the limit. Harry wondered if the judges were going by the time that the champion broke the surface of the water or the time that they made it to shore. If it was the time they made it to shore, than he was the only one to complete the task in the prescribed limit.

Harry landed and was immediately crushed in a patented Hermione Hug. "You did it, you did it! You were the first back. You have to be in the lead after this." She said.

Harry pulled back from the hug and said, "We'll see." He noticed Krum giving him and Hermione a look and said, "Go to your champion and congratulate him. He's starting to give me a dirty look."

Hermione looked at Krum and blushed. "You're right. Are we still having a party in your suite tonight?"

"Try and stop the twins from celebrating." Harry said, and they both looked to the stands and saw the twins bouncing in their seats. Hermione smiled and went back to Krum who took her hand and gave it a kiss.

Ludo Bagman's voice sounded then and Harry listened for him give the scores. Harry noticed that Dumbledore had just gotten back from talking to a Merperson and was now in a discussion with the other judges. "The scores for the second task of the Tri Wizard Tournament are as follows. Arriving back to shore fifteen minutes after the time limit, Fleur Delacour, using the Bubble Head Charm, is awarded…" Bagman turned to the judges, who each shot a magical number in the air. "Twenty Eight!"

Remus had given her an eight, Dumbledore had given her a seven, Maxime had given her a seven also, Karkaroff gave her a four, and Umbridge had given her a two. The last two had gotten boo's from the crowd and it wasn't just from the Beauxbaton's students. Harry thought that it was an unfair decision but didn't expect anything else from Umbridge.

Bagman continued, "Arriving to the shore ten minutes after the limit, and using a partial self-transfiguration, Viktor Krum from Durmstrang has scored a…Forty One!" Remus had given him an eight, Dumbledore an eight, Maxime an eight, Karkaroff a ten, and Umbridge a seven. The applause was quite a bit louder for Krum than it was for Fleur and Harry had to wonder about the unfairness of the judges, and how they could get away with it. Never mind, he knew how.

"Arriving back on shore eight minutes passed the time limit, and using another Bubble head charm, is Cedric Diggory from Hogwarts!. He has scored a… Thirty Nine!" said Bagman. The applause for Cedric matched those of Krum. No wonder with the stands mostly filled with Hogwarts students. Remus had given him a nine, Dumbledore an eight, Maxime an eight, Karkaroff a five, and Umbridge a nine

Now was the time for Harry to hear his score. He really didn't care as some judges had shown blatant disregard for fairness. Bagman spoke, "And our final champion, representing Fantastic University, Using what we believe was a form of Gillyweed and a quite remarkable broom, returning to shore Thirty Six minutes before the task ended. Harry Potter has scored a… Thirty six!" There was less applause than for Cedric and Krum and Harry heard some Boo's coming from the stands. He knew that some of the boo's were for the score and some were for him. Remus had given him a ten, Dumbledore a ten, Maxime a ten, Karkaroff a five, and Umbridge a one. Remus told him later that she said he cheated by using a broom. There was going to be a massive prank in her future, and that is just what Remus had promised. Harry and Sirius would have to come up with their own. Harry could tell that the twins were going to add their own brand of justice to the case of one Delores Umbridge too.

After the noise had died down, Bagman finished. "This brings the total for both tasks to first place with eighty three points for Viktor Krum! Second place with a total of eighty points is Harry Potter! Third place with a total of seventy nine points is Cedric Diggory! And last but certainly not least with sixty eight points is Fleur Delacour!" He let the applause go on for a few moments and then continued, "Well done to all the champions. The last task of the Tri Wizard Tournament will commence on the twenty fourth of June so the champions will have time to prepare. The last task will determine who will achieve eternal glory and who will go home in defeat. A thousand Galleons isn't too bad either. The champions will be notified one month before the final task what they will need to know. I now officially close the second task of the TRI WIZARD TOURNAMENT!" He had shouted the last to thunderous applause from the stands.

Harry saw Dumbledore approaching after the scores had been given, and so he mounted his broom and headed toward the castle. He shouted over his shoulder, "Party in the F.U. suite for the champions and their friends at six tonight!" He felt that this would give the other champions enough time to celebrate with their own school and still attend. It would also give him some time to celebrate with Sirius. Reaching his suite, he showered and changed before calling Dobby and having him prepare for the party. He also sent a note to Flitwick and Sprout inviting them. Sneaking out under his invisibility cloak, Harry made his way to Myrtles bathroom and into the chamber to join Sirius. Remus was already there, having entered from the forbidden forest side after having checked himself for tracking spells. Dumbledore hadn't tried to track him after the first task, to everyone's relief. Of course they knew that he would try something else soon, Dumbledore just couldn't help himself.

"Way to go pup!" Sirius said as soon as he saw Harry. "How was the broom? Did the rune's work? How was the Gillyweed? Did you let Ron drown? How did the prank go?"

"It all went perfectly, and no, I didn't let the git drown. Didn't you tell him any of this?" Harry said, the last to Remus.

"No, I was waiting for you to get here." Replied the werewolf.

"So, you were first right?" asked Sirius.

"Yes and no." replied Harry.

"What do you mean yes and no? Were you first or weren't you?" said Sirius.

Remus answered, "He finished the task first and was the only one back before the hour was up, but he scored in third place."

"WHAT!" shouted Sirius "How!?"

"Umbridge" was all that Harry said.

"She gave Harry a one, saying that he cheated by using the broom, even though there is nothing against it in the rules. Karkaroff seemed to agree as he gave Harry a five. I told both of them that it was perfectly legal but neither cared. I also think that you prank affected the score." said Remus.

"That bitch! We are going to have to do something about her." Responded Sirius.

"I agree." Said Harry. "I'll stick Ted and the Prophet on her. We should also try to sneak her a mirror." Harry looked at Remus in anticipation of an argument, but saw only agreement in the man's eyes. His hate for the woman was stronger than his conscience on spying. "Any ideas how? I don't think that Dobby or Winky will be able to swap one of her mirrors for one of ours, and she strikes me as a woman who will toss away a gift unless it is from someone important."

"We'll figure that out later. Now show me your memory of the second task, and be sure to include the prank." Insisted Sirius. Harry obliged and he, Sirius and Remus dove into the Pensive. Remus was also interested in what happened under the water, it was extremely boring just looking at the lake for the hour and fifteen minutes it had taken for the task to complete. "Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha!" Sirius was laughing as they emerged from the memory. Harry and Remus were chuckling, but they had already seen the prank first hand. "I have to see that again" and Sirius dived back into the Pensive.

Harry and Remus stayed out the second time and used it to think of ways to get back at Umbridge. Harry also called for the snakes and checked in on them. Harry wasn't able to spend a lot of time with the snakes and let them do their own thing. They spent most of their time exploring the forest and still occasionally spooked the students, Harry had let them into the Ravenclaw dorms soon after he had found out that Luna was being bullied and they had done a masterful job of freaking out the whole dorm. Harry knew who some of the bullies were and had done something special for them, but he felt that the whole house, except for the first and some of the second years, needed to be taught a lesson. Even if they didn't know what it was for, the snakes were more than happy to provide. When Sirius re-emerged, Harry let the snakes go about their business and rejoined the conversation between Remus and Sirius.

"… you see the looks on the pureblood idiots? I wish I could have taken a picture of Draco and sent it to his father." Sirius said, and made a face like the one that Draco was sporting during the song. They all had a laugh at Sirius's antics. "We definitely have to do something about Umbitch. Did you see how she was looking at you?" said Sirius, the last to Remus.

"I try to avoid looking at her if I can, but I can imagine her expression. I like Umbitch by the way." Replied Remus.

"So do I." said Harry. "What do you think we can or should do to her?"

"We'll think of something. So… four months until the next task. What do you want to do until then?" asked Sirius.

"Hopefully we will have taken care of the Horcrux's by then, so train and…revenge, I mean justice." Harry said, rubbing his hands together with an evil cackle.

"Good answer." Said Sirius, joining in the evil cackling. Remus just rolled his eyes at the two. They spent another few hours making plans for the future before it was time for Harry to go to his party.

The party was a glorious affair. Luna was waiting for him as he got back to his suite and they practiced kissing until the first guest arrived. Harry let the champions invite whoever they wanted and there was a greater number of foreign students at the party than before. Fleur brought her sister and they both thanked Harry. Fleur, for the rescue from the Grindylows and for leaving the knife, and Gabrielle for helping her sister. Luna took an immediate liking to Gabrielle and spent a lot of the evening with her and Fleur. Harry wasn't too surprised to find that she spoke fluent French. Cedric showed up with Katie Bell and Cho was nowhere to be seen. Harry heard later that Cho spent the whole night crying in her dorm, He couldn't feel too bad. Cedric also thanked Harry when he found out that it was Harry who left the knife and commiserated about the unfairness of the points. Krum and Hermione talked a little to Harry when they arrived, but spent most of the party in a secluded corner. Harry saw them kissing and had to hide the smirk that crossed his face. Neville spent most of the party with Hannah and Susan again, and the twins with Alicia and Angelina. Ginny showed up with the Hufflepuff Michael Corner, but she spent most of the party sending longing looks toward Harry and sneers to Luna. Harry figured that he would have to keep a look out for her in the future. He couldn't be too harsh because the twins still liked her and she hadn't really done anything to him. Since it was a Friday night, Flitwick and Sprout let the party go on until after one am before escorting the students to their respective dorms or carriage or boat in the case of the Durmstrang or Beauxbatons students. One again he awoke to find Luna in his bed. When they were both up she taught him something she learned from Fleur the night before, French Kissing.

Life settled back to normal with Harry training his friends and avoiding Dumbledore. Snape was still on his 'avoid at all cost' list and McGonagall's attitude toward him had her as a contender. Since he didn't know what the next task was, he just resumed his normal routine, but he did have Hermione researching previous tasks again. He told her that he would share whatever information she got with all the other champions and it saw a fire light under her. Harry couldn't tell if it was because she would be helping him or if it was because she would be helping Krum. Cedric and Fleur seemed inconsequential to her.

March first came and went and Harry was waiting to her from Barkaxe about the next Horcrux. On the fifth Harry received a note with an appointment time the next day. Making it to Gringotts under his Sam Underhill identity, he entered Barkaxe's office and they got down to business. "Welcome Mr. Potter"

"And the same to you. Have you found the next Horcrux?" asked Harry.

"Indeed we have. There is a curious development that we must discuss first." Replied Barkaxe.

' _A curious development? Another one? What hasn't been curious about this whole affair?_ ' Harry thought. "What's so curious? Can we get to the Horcrux?" he asked aloud.

"The curious development is that the Horcrux is in a property owned by Sirius Black" said Barkaxe.

"WHAT!" shouted Harry.

"Yes, It is located at 12 Grimmauld Place. A property inherited by Lord Black. As you know it is standard procedure to research any location as thoroughly as possible before attempting to access said location. Our research has shown that the property that is currently housing the Horcrux is owned by Lord Black, even though our research has shown that he hasn't been there in over twenty years." Said Barkaxe.

"Yeah, we talked about our past's and he mentioned growing up there but running away when he was fifteen. Do you think we will need him to access the property? I am sure that I can get him to let us in." said Harry.

"It would be beneficial to have the property owner present while we search for the Horcrux. I can have his account manager send him a message, but I believe that you have a faster and more secure way to contact him?" asked Barkaxe.

"Yes I do. Do you want to have him meet us here now or should we schedule another meeting?" Asked Harry.

"Now would be best, the sooner the better. I have cleared my schedule for the day in anticipation." Said Barkaxe.

Harry mirror called Sirius who agreed to come right away. Both he and Harry were glad for Harry's Christmas gift to Sirius. While they waited for Sirius to show, they discussed the Potter finances and the remains of the Basilisk. There was only ten percent left to sell and Harry already had well over four million galleons in his vault.

Thirty minutes later, a glamoured Sirius joined Harry in Barkaxe's office.


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter Thirty 12 Grimmauld Place

"What do you mean that a Horcrux is in my house?" exclaimed Sirius, jumping to his feet.

"We have determined that the next Horcrux is at 12 Grimmauld Place. We have no way to determine how it came to be there." Replied Barkaxe.

Sirius sat back down and sighed, "My family were supporters of Voldie and my brother actually joined the Death Eaters before he died. I guess it's no surprise that there would be something of his there." Sirius turned to Harry with a plea in his voice. "I had no idea that there was a Horcrux there."

"I believe you. I remember that you told me that you ran away when you were fifteen. There would be no way that you would know." Harry reassured him.

"So what do we do now?" asked Sirius.

Barkaxe spoke up, "We require your permission to access the property as soon as possible. There is a team of cursebreakers waiting on you and Mr. Potter to arrive at the property and let them commence the search. Swiftdeath has already agreed to let Mr. Potter watch the recovery and I have spoken to him and he has agreed to let you stay with Mr. Potter at the property, if you follow his instructions."

"OK. When do we leave?" asked Sirius.

"Let me send a signal to our team to clear the surrounding area and you will join them by Portkey in an hour. You are still a wanted man and the Ministry or someone else might be watching the property." Said Barkaxe.

"That sounds good. Are the cursebreakers trustworthy? Will one of them turn me in? I have a hundred thousand galleon bounty on my head after all." Said Sirius.

"Yeah," Harry spoke before Barkaxe could. "They are trustworthy. I know the curebreakers that are on the job and I had them sign a binding secrecy contract. You don't have to worry."

Barkaxe added, "All of the Gringotts cursebreakers are under several secrecy contracts. It would not be worth it to betray us, even at ten times the price."

"That's good. I didn't mean to offend. I just don't know who to trust after my…" Sirius let the statement hang.

"I understand your reluctance. I have taken no offence. I would recommend that you not repeat that sentiment in front of other goblins though. I have a greater understanding of wizard emotions than other Goblins." Said Barkaxe. Sirius nodded in reply.

Harry asked to be excused to another room so that he could prepare and Sirius left to speak with his account manager. Harry always carried his shrunken trunk on him so it was no problem to put together his curse breaking kit. He also wore his Basilisk skin coat and Sirius wolf whistled when they got together in the Portkey room an hour later. The Portkey dropped them off in a small run down park. Harry looked around and saw a neighborhood that had seen better days. It looked like it once was quite affluent, but ow there was garbage piling up on the streets, broken down cars, and many buildings with broken or boarded up windows. "Nice" said Harry sarcastically.

"Home sweet home." Sirius said, just as sarcastically.

Harry looked around and spotted Joshua Platt standing in front of an alley and made his way over to him. When he and Sirius got to the alley, Harry also spotted Swiftdeath hiding in the shadows. "Hello Swiftdeath, Hello Josh." Greeted Harry. "This is my Godfather and the owner of the property in question. You both know who he really is but call him Bob when he looks like this, please."

Swiftdeath just nodded and Josh held out his hand to Sirius and said, "Hello Bob. Quite the kid you got there."

"He is a handful." Replied Sirius.

Harry just rolled his eyes. "Is it just the two of you?"

"Yeah just the two of us. Most of the other cursebreakers are still searching the vaults." Said Josh.

Swiftdeath spoke up, "Save the chit chat for later. We need to get in the house. We have already set up muggle and wizard repelling wards around the property and have put up an illusion five feet in front of the entrance to hide our entry and exit, Here, put these on." Swiftdeath handed Sirius and Harry a bracelet. "They will key you into the temporary wards."

Harry and Sirius put on the bracelets and Harry asked. "What now?"

Mr. Bob and I will disillusion ourselves and enter the property first. Five minutes later you and Mr. Platt will follow. Than Mr. Platt and I will search the property for the item and determine its protections. If we discover that the protections aren't too dangerous, we will call you to help with the recovery." Said Swiftdeath.

Harry watched Sirius and Swiftdeath disappear right before his eyes and waited. Five Minutes later he and Josh also disappeared and made their way to the entrance of 12 Grimmauld Place. Entering the property and looking around the entrance corridor, Harry noticed the dust, cobwebs, peeling wallpaper and a umbrella stand that looked like a troll's leg , Harry thought _'What a dump. I don't blame Sirius for running away. What's that racket?'_

The racket turned out to be a portrait that was screaming at a now visible Sirius and Swiftdeath. "FILTH! SCUM! ABOMINATIONS! SHAME OF MY FLESH! FOUL CREATURES! GET OUT OF THE NOBLE HOUSE OF BLACK!"

"SHUT UP YOU COW!" Sirius yelled back. He turned to Swiftdeath and said, "I'll give you fifty galleons if you can get rid of that… thing." Pointing to the portrait.

Before Swiftdeath could answer, a House Elf popped in front of the portrait and said in a deep scratchy voice, "Shame of the Blacks has returned and brought filthy creatures with him. Mistress will be most upset. Kreature will get rid of the filth. That will make mistress happy and Kreature won't have to punish himself tonight."

"Shut up Kreature, and do nothing!" Sirius spat. Harry knew that Sirius had bad memories of this house and this particular Elf. The Elf seemed to struggle with himself for a moment and lowered his head and stood still. The Portrait was still screaming and spitting at everyone in the hall when Sirius said to Harry. "Meet my loving mother."

"Lovely woman." Said Harry. Swiftdeath took this moment to chant something in Gobbledygook and the portrait fell off the wall. Harry saw Kreature struggling to reach out to the portrait but the orders from Sirius kept him where he was.

"Wow!" exclaimed Sirius. "I wanted to do that since she had the portrait made when I was five. I'll have my account manager send you the galleons when we get back to Gringotts. Can you destroy the portrait too?"

"There are many protections on the portrait and it will take too long to remove them now and we are on another job. I will bring this back to Gringotts and destroy it there, or I can have it placed in your vault." Said Swiftdeath.

"No just destroy it." Said Sirius. Harry heard Creature whimper. "What should I do now?"

"Nothing. Wait here with Mr. Potter while we search. We will call for you if we need anything." Said Josh.

"Ok, be careful. My family was quite dark and I have no idea what else you might find. It doesn't look like the ruddy elf has done any cleaning since I was last here." Said Sirius.

"I can help." Said Harry. He didn't want to stay in the hallway, it was creepy.

Swiftdeath spoke up. "You have agreed to abide my instructions and my instructions are for you to stay here until I call you." Harry just nodded and Swiftdeath and Josh started their search.

After a few minutes, Sirius ordered Kreature to bring two chairs for him and Harry to sit while they waited. He then ordered Kreature to start cleaning the hallway. Kreature followed his orders but was grumbling under his breath the whole time. Harry and Sirius chatted for a while before they saw Josh coming toward them. "Did you find it?" asked Harry before Josh had fully reached them.

"Yes we have. There were several dark objects around it but no wards or curses. Sorry but there was nothing to dismantle so nothing for you to watch. The item only had a small compulsion to wear it, but nothing more. Swiftdeath will be down shortly and you can see it for yourself." Said Josh.

As on que, Swiftdeath entered the hallway and approached the group. "This was another easy assignment. I am surprised that there weren't more protection, considering who the item belong to." Swiftdeath held up a golden locket with an emerald snake on the cover and Harry recognized it from the pictures that the Unspeakable had shown him.

Kreature let out a scream and shouted, "NO! YOU CAN'T TAKE MASTER REGULAS'S LOCKET! KRETURE PROMISED, KREATURE PROMISED!" Kreature then lunged at the locket in Swiftdeaths hand. Josh sent a stunner at the elf that knocked him out.

"What was that about?" asked Sirius. Did he say it was Regulas's locket?"

"I have no idea." Replied Harry. "I've seen a picture of the locket before and I know it is Slytherin's locket. I have no idea how Regulas came by it unless Tommy gave it to him. Regulas was your brother right? And he was a Death Eater?"

"Yeah." Said Sirius. He poked Kreature with his foot. "I have no idea how my brother got his hands on a… item" Everyone had agreed earlier to not mention the word Horcrux in public. "I know how we can find out." He said, taking out his wand and casting several spells on Kreature, binding him. He then sent an Enervate and the elf woke up. Before the elf could react, Sirius said. "Kreature! Make no move to escape or try to take the locket!" Kreature froze in place, the order and the bindings keeping him from doing anything. "Now tell me what you know about this locket."

Kreature shook his head and said, " Kreature can't, Kreature won't. Master Regulas forbid Kreature from saying anything to family. Kreature won't Kreature won't."

Sirius was about to yell at Kreature when Harry stopped him. Harry said, "If he had orders not to tell his masters family, there is nothing you can do to make him tell you."

"So what should we do?" asked Sirius. "I want to know."

Harry replied. "There is no way Kreature will tell you, and maybe me as I'm your godson, however there were no order that says he can't tell someone else, say… Josh over there."

A smile formed on Sirius's face and he turned to Josh and asked. "Will you listen to the story that my elf has to say?"

Josh looked to Swiftdeath who nodded and he said back to Sirius. "I will."

"Good, thank you." Said Sirius. He turned back to Kreature and said. "You will go with Josh over there and tell him all you know about this locket here," He pointed to the locket in Swiftdeaths hand. "You will not lie and tell him the whole truth. Everything you know about the locket and everything you know about Regulas's connection to it and to Voldemort."

Kreature had no choice but to obey and he followed Josh into another room. Thirty minutes later Josh rejoined the group. "What did he say?" asked Harry.

"I'll show you the whole memory at Gringotts later, the short of it is that your brother had figured out what it was and sacrificed his life in trying to destroy the locket. He went about it badly, but he did try." Said Josh

Sirius was speechless and slumped into one of the chairs that he and Harry were sitting in earlier. Harry felt for him, finding out that the brother that you thought was a Death Eater had died trying to fight Voldemort had to be quite a shock. Swiftdeath spoke up in the silence that had descended. "We still have to get the item to Gringotts to finish the job, and I believe that you will want to view the memory of the interview. Let us depart. Josh, you go first and make sure the coast is clear. Mr. Potter, you will follow with Bob when the signal is sent. I will leave last to take down the temporary wards and make sure there was no trace of our visit." Before they lefy, Sirius told Kreature to clean the house from top to bottom.

Ten minutes later found Harry, Sirius, Josh and Swiftdeath in Gringotts Portkey room. Swiftdeath excused himself with the locket and Harry and Sirius followed Josh to a conference room. Josh told them to wait while he arranged a pensive and left them in silence. Harry didn't know what to say to make Sirius feel better so he said nothing, he just put his hand on Sirius's shoulder to comfort him. Ten minutes later Josh returned with a pensive and Snarltoe, Sirius's account manager. Snarltoe arranged payment for Swiftdeath and the use of Gringotts pensive quickly. Harry knew that Sirius would pay any price, even though he had access to his own pensive in the chamber. Harry also had one but felt it would be bad form to offer its use. After Sirius signed the contract, Josh removed a silver memory from his head and placed in the pensive. He then left with Snarltoe, leaving Harry and Sirius alone with the memory.

"Do you want me to join you?" asked Harry.

Sirius was quiet for a few moments before replying. "I think I should see it for myself first. Thank you though."

"Oh, OK. Let me know if you need anything." Said Harry.

Sirius just smiled at Harry then entered the pensive. It was a tense thirty minutes before Sirius emerged crying. Harry rushed to his side. "Sirius! Are you OK?"

It didn't appear that Sirius heard him, he was muttering, "Why Reg, why?" Harry let Sirius cry for several minutes before he could regain his composure. Sirius said. "Thank you Harry."

"You're welcome. Are you alright?" responded Harry.

"I will be. My damn brother! I guess he was more of a Gryffindor than I thought." Sirius said with a sad laugh.

"What do you mean?" asked Harry.

"He…" started Sirius. "I can't even say. Watch the memory, it is disturbing so be prepared. I can't see it again so you will have to go in by yourself."

"OK, will you be alright if I leave you?" asked Harry.

Sirius smiled at him, "I'll be fine Pup."

"OK, see you soon." Said Harry and he entered the pensive. It was a pale Harry that emerged thirty minutes later. "I'm so sorry Sirius." He said as soon as he got to Sirius, engulfing him in a hug. After a few minutes of comforting each other, Harry went to the door to call back Josh to collect his memory. Harry and Sirius left Gringotts under glamours to commiserate in private.

The day's started to pass and Harry heard from Ted about Umbridge. He had been able to uncover many rumors about her but no solid proof. Apparently Umbridge was good at covering her tracks even though everyone hated her and were more than happy to spread the rumors. Others had confirmed that Umbridge had made them do something, but they refused to say what. Harry did get some useful information on her for the planned prank and maybe something to help in sneaking her a mirror for her office. He had already gotten her home address and found that she had no elves, so he was able to have Dobby replace all the mirrors in her house with two way mirrors. Harry had to hire another elf to keep an eye on all the mirrors he had already set up. So far he had learned much about the toad's home life, but nothing that they could use against her publically. Her birthday was on the thirteenth of March and Harry was going to use her likes of cats and pink to trick her into accepting a spying mirror for her office. To make sure that she wouldn't either throw it away or take it home, he planned to trick the Minister into giving it to her. The plan was to send a gaudy, pink, cat shaped mirror to the Minister from a group that Ted had made up. They knew that the Minister would get rid of the trashy mirror, but they timed the arrival of the gift to coincide with a subtle reminder that it was Umbridge's birthday. Fortunately for Harry, the plan had worked perfectly and now they had a window into the toad's office. She had put it directly behind her desk so they could see everyone that came in. Harry felt sorry for the elves that had to watch her every day.

Ted had taken it upon himself to suggest the direction of some of the Daily Prophet stories. He had so far had the Prophet comment on the stupidity of the second task and the unfairness of the scoring, especially Umbridge's scores. He published the rules of the tournament and that using a broom was not against the rules. Comments like 'Is the Ministry punishing The-Boy-Who-Lived?' He did have the Prophet comment on the prank Harry puled and admonished him, but it was a fair opinion Harry felt. Dumbledore was also brought to task for using an unwilling underage, foreign hostage in one Gabrielle Delacour and being subtly trashed with comments like "Has he lost control at his school?' And 'Too many responsibilities?'. Ted was being subtle as he knew that one couldn't attack a man like Dumbledore directly.

Another surprise that Ted had for Harry was that he had received several admission requests for Fantastic University. This had shocked Harry and made Sirius laugh his ass off. Ted had commented that as soon as the school was announced after the first tack that he had started to receive the requests, but ignored them until after the second task when the amount of requests had more than tripled. There was already over four hundred applications from around the world, several from current Hogwarts students. There were many names that Harry recognized, including the twins and Katie Bell. Seeing Susan Bones application request had greatly surprised Harry, Colin Creevy and his brothers application request hadn't.

Harry hadn't decided what to do with the school after the year was over, but now he had to really consider his options. His first thought was just to get rid of the school and use the property as a vacation home, but now? He would have to talk with the Marauder's and the Tonks's to help make a decision. He would also have to bring in Barkaxe to see if it would be financially possible. Maybe he would offer admission to the goblins and other magical races. Remus could possibly offer admission to Werewolves so they would have a safe place to learn. So many possibilities.


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter Thirty One Pranks

Having no Quidditch had an unforeseen consequence; it gave the twins a lot of free time to plan pranks. It had started small. The windows around the castle started to Wolf Whistle or throw insults at passing students. The next thing that happened was the desks in Binn's class were transfigured into bunk beds. This lasted for two days before someone told a teacher who had them transfigured back. The next prank was causing random books in the library to scream when opened. This had driven Madame Pince crazy and had taken Flitwick several days before he had gotten them all. Hermione didn't appreciate the prank and let the twins know. They walked with a limp for two days.

Next was over a hundred animated cat and dog toys being let loose in the hallways. This had caused so much havoc that classes were cancelled for half a day. Next was a charm on the benches in Great Hall to make farting noises or say ouch when someone sat on them. Somehow the Slytherin benches were the loudest. The next prank was random classroom doors only opening if you knock to the rhythm of 'shave and a haircut, two bits' (knock. Knock knock knock knock. Knock, knock)

The next prank was one that the teachers left up. It was a charm on the public bathrooms that sprouted warts all over the hands of anyone who didn't wash up. It was a two part prank that involved a curse on the bathroom entrance that was cancelled by the counter charm on the sinks. It took several months before people realized that they only had to touch the sinks before leaving the bathroom to avoid the curse. One of Harry favorite charms was on the outside of the Slytherin's dorm that made the same material as the sheets they used to itch when it came in contact with skin. The Slytherin's had silk sheets so all silk clothes, like undergarments also caused the person to itch. Snape tore apart the dorms looking for the curse but didn't find anything. He never looked in the hallway in front of the dorm and the curse ran its course after a week, nut it was a fun week for everyone except the Slytherin's.

Next was an illusion of a waterfall that covered the main door of the castle. Many people refused to go near it until a brave Gryffindor first year ran through and it was discovered to be an illusion. After that nobody had a problem with it and were actually upset when the teachers took it down later that day. The next illusion prank was a dragon appearing on the astronomy tower whenever a bird landed on it. This had freaked out many students until it was explained at dinner that night. It had also caused classes to be cancelled for the morning. Hagrid had been seen trying to talk to the dragon whenever it appeared.

Next was having everyone's shoe's get stuck to the floors in one hallway. Socks and bare feet didn't get stuck. It was a coincidence that the hallway led to the Ravenclaw dorms. In the Great Hall one night all of the school robes switched color's. Gryffindor became Ravenclaw, Slytherin became Gryffindor, Ravenclaw became Hufflepuff and Hufflepuff became Slytherin. Dinner was delayed while the teachers had to change the robes back one at a time. Ron was heard complaining the entire time. Somehow someone talked Peeves into being polite for one day, this had freaked out everyone. The next day Peeves was discovered with two cases of Dung Bombs. Another night in the Great Hall, all the tables became disillusioned, making it impossible to eat. The table and everything six inches above it became invisible so when anyone reached for their food, their hands also disappeared. Somehow Ron still found a way to eat.

Next was causing the stairs in the dungeons to act like the stairs to the girl's dormitory, only it was set off by girls instead of boys. Draco also set it off, leading to many people to refer to him as Draconia, mostly Gryffindors. The next dorm to be hit was Hufflepuff. There was a charm over the Hufflepuff dorm entrance that switched the clothes of any two people that crossed at the same time. They figured it out pretty quickly and left the dorms one by one until the curse was removed. The Ravenclaw entrance was bewitched to ask for the end to dirty limericks instead of riddles. Flitwick let this go on for a few days because the limericks were age appropriate. Gryffindor had all of their hair turned gold for a day. All hair. Somehow Harry was included in this prank and wore his gold hair with pride.

The head of all the houses and the Headmaster also got pranked. Shampoo showed up in front of Snape during meal time. Big bottles that couldn't be vanished, it had to be physically removed. It kept happening all night. Same with catnip in front of McGonagall and Brussel sprouts in front of Dumbledore. A pair of shoes with three inch lifts in front of Flitwick, and a bottle of weed killer in front of Sprout. Snape had removed a hundred points from each house except his own and the Headmaster didn't correct him. McGonagall had complained about the points but did nothing except put the twins in detention for this prank even though they swore they didn't do it. Harry had to laugh because he was the one to actually pull it off. He didn't really want to prank Flitwick and Sprout but to hide his involvement pranked everyone, not just the teachers he had problems with. He promised himself he would do something nice for them later. Most of the pranks that had been happening around Hogwarts had indeed been caused by the twins, but not all. Sirius was so proud.

After the other school arrived, they experienced their own pranks. The twins hit Durmstrang by inscribing color change rune's on the bottom of their ship, turning it blue. They used Gillyweed to sneak underwater so they wouldn't get caught. Karkaroff swore up a storm to Dumbledore in the Great Hall that night but nothing came of it. Beauxbatons was hit by causing flowers to grow five feet high overnight around their carriage, making it almost impossible for them to leave. Harry talked them out of using roses. Sprout used some of the weed killer that Harry pranked her with to get rid of the flowers.

After the Yule Ball they had fairies follow all the girls around, playing with their hair, Most of the girls seemed to like it. They also had the fairies do the same to Draco, bringing back the name Draconia. When classes resumed after New Year, fanfare music played whenever a champion entered the Great Hall. The Darth Vader march played whenever Snape entered and Cat Scratch Fever played whenever McGonagall entered. Motley Crue's Girls, Girls, Girls played whenever a female teacher entered and Oingo Boingo's Little Girls played whenever Dumbledore entered. The teachers spent several weeks looking for the cause of the prank before discovering it attached to the ceiling above the entrance in the hallway. Flitwick was a little disappointed no music played when he entered. One day a six foot deep pool appeared in a unused hallway and several students started using it for recreation as it was heated. It lasted for two weeks before it disappeared. The latest prank was on random classrooms that made all the voices in the room sound like the teacher. This was epically funny in Flitwick's class. In fact Flitwick was so impressed with the charm and other spell work of the pranks that he had secretly returned all the points the twins lost from being accused, even though there was never any proof that they committed them.

Harry had helped them develop many of their pranks whenever they asked for help and Sirius had been helping then via the mirrors since Christmas. Harry had realized that they were geniuses and was happy to pitch in. He had debated in asking them for help on his upcoming prank on Umbridge, but decided to leave them out of it. Too much of a chance for something to go wrong the more people that were involved.

Speaking of the pranks on Umbridge, Harry and the Marauders had started their offensive. Remus was first and his prank was a two part potion that grew hair all over Umbridge's body. The first part of the potion was snuck into her shampoo by Dobby. The other part of the potion was sprayed on her in the lobby of the Ministry. Nymphadora had agreed to help by using her talents in disguise to spray Umbridge as she walked through and coincidentally there was a Daily Prophet photographer around to document the prank for posterity. There was a story in the Prophet the next day along with photos that subtly hinted that maybe Umbridge was a secret Werewolf. Ted had been running the Prophet with an understanding that they would tell the truth as often as possible, but he had no problem reporting rumors about Umbridge that he knew were false. Nymphadora had agreed to help with the prank because Umbridge had tried to get her kicked out of the Auror's because she was a Metamorphmagus. Amelia Bones had overruled her because she knew that a Metamorphmagus was an asset to her department. Nymphadora also helped because she wanted to get Remus's attention, she liked the older Werewolf.

Harry and the Marauders had a good laugh watching the mirrors in Umbridge's office and home. The hair lasted for six hours she had been furious and swearing vengeance on everyone while hiding in her office. She was so inundated with howlers after the article hinting at her being a werewolf that she had stopped all mail to her house and had it all redirected to the DMLE. Harry felt sorry for whichever Auror had to deal with her mail. After the furor had died down for a bit, Sirius set off his prank. Umbridge lived an orderly life. She always woke at the same time, had breakfast at the same time, and wore a specific outfit on the same days. This had come in handy for pranks because Sirius was able to have Dobby secure the correct outfit of Umbridge's to set the prank off at the right time. Sirius had gone for humiliation and had a vanishing rune sewn into her clothes that would activate with a triggering rune as Umbridge exited the floo at the Ministry. Harry had talked him out of also vanishing her underwear, saying that it would be too cruel to everyone else that had to see her. Once Umbridge stepped out of the floo on a Monday, there was stunned silence. It took a moment for Umbridge to notice anything, but when she did she let out a high pitched scream and barreled her way through the queue waiting for the outgoing floo. In another coincidence, the same Daily Prophet photographer was nearby and was able to capture the moment. The next day the picture was on the cover of the Prophet with the headline, 'New dress code for Ministry employees?' The funniest thing for Harry was the words 'I Love Fudge!' that Sirius had charmed on the back of her underwear. Sirius had Ted get him a copy of the picture from the photographer and had it framed. Harry almost felt sorry for Umbridge but hearing her rants through the mirrors put an end to that.

Harry decided to wait on his prank for a while. He wanted to do something a little more than simple humiliation; he wanted his prank to mess with her life. At first he was just going to cause her some annoyance, but after hearing her rants and reading about some of the things that she was suspected of doing, he didn't want her anywhere in government. He set about preparing his prank but something else came up that he would have to deal with first.

Lucius had found a way to securely store his dark artifacts and a good deal of his money. He had secretly bought a property and was about to have it placed under the Fidelius charm. Harry had found out about it by overhearing Lucius talking about it in his office. Harry was able to find the address and had Dobby and Winky place spy mirrors all over it. Harry knew that Lucius was going to have his wife cast the Fidelius charm and make him secret keeper. To do this one had to set ward boundary stones around the location that will be hidden and cast the charm from the center of the stones. The books that Flitwick had recommended helped Harry to understand the nuances of the charm. The reason Harry had the house filled with spy mirrors was two-fold. First it was to keep an eye on Lucius and his loot, second it was so that he, Sirius, Remus and Andromeda could listen in when the Fidelius charm was cast and know the secret. Harry had all the elves join them around the mirror as the charm was cast and now they all knew it too.

Harry had kept Ted out of the secret to protect him. As a mugggleborn, he had less protection than either Sirius, Andromeda, or himself. Harry was also going to leave Remus out of it but being a Headmaster from a visiting school had given him some protection, plus Legillamancy and Veritasirum didn't work on werewolves so he would be protected if he was questioned. It took many discussions before everyone had decided on what to do. Sirius had just wanted to take the money and destroy the dark artifacts. Andromeda wanted to replace the money with Leprechaun Gold and have it disappear in front of Lucius and set off all the dark artifacts and see if Lucius made it out. She was still angry about her sister marrying that Death Eater. Remus wanted to turn all the dark artifact's over to the DMLE, giving Nymphadora the credit for the bust, and donate the money to the DMLE and other worthwhile causes. Giving Nymphadora credit for the bust was nixed because they didn't want their names connected to the artifacts, they knew that Lucius would retaliate. After all they were going to take over two thirds of the Malfoy money and all his dirty little secret objects. There were many discussions on trying to tie Lucius to the dark artifacts, nut they finally decided that it would be too difficult to get away with it if they did.

In the end they decided to sell all the dark artifacts to the goblins for five thousand galleons. The artifacts were worth over ten times that amount and the goblins whole heartedly agreed in taking them. The goblins would have their cursebreakers remove any dangerous curses from the objects they could, and melt down all that they couldn't. Harry's group had also decided to take the money and use it to make some donations. Arranging everything through the goblins who lowered their fee because they were so happy with the deal on the artifacts, they had over a hundred Dragonhide vests delivered to the DMLE, donated fifty Nimbus 2000's to Hogwarts, donated fifty thousand galleons to St. Mungo's, and donated the remainder to muggle orphanages and hospitals all around Britain and Scotland. Harry knew that Lucius would have a heart attack if he knew that his money was being spent helping muggles. They had also decided to go with Andromeda's suggestion of leaving Leprechaun Gold under a stasis spell so that it wouldn't disappear until Lucius entered the property, canceling the stasis spell, and see all his money disappear right before his eye's. Harry hoped that he would be near a mirror when it happened so he could see the look on Lucius's face. He still was angry at Lucius for giving Ginny the cursed diary in second year and the way he had treated Dobby. As an added taunt and as a misdirection, they left one of Umbridge's hair bow's that Dobby had 'obtained' in the house for Lucius to find along with two knut's Hopefully it would pit the two against each other and draw attention away from Harry and his friends.

It took only two days for Lucius to discover his missing property. Harry guessed that he was paranoid having so much of his wealth in one place that had so few protections. Another side effect of the Fidelus charm was that it keeps one from adding too many other protections or risk destroying the Fidelus. Harry had to laugh to himself because Lucius was right to worry. When Lucius arrived in the property everything looked normal to him. He first checked on his gold and scooped some it up to 'Donate to the re-election fund of Fudge', specifically to get a bill passed that would make it illegal for muggleborns to teach at any wizarding school in Britain. He had started to lose support in the Wizengamot and would have to spread around a few galleons to help secure his position. As he finished filling his bag up with gold and preparing to leave, something in the corner of his eye caught his attention. Turning back around he was frozen in shock when right before his eye's, piles of his gold started to disappear. When he regained his composure, he immediately drew his wand and started throwing curses around, trying to hit the non-existent thief. Of course he hit nothing and as the last pile of gold disappeared, he let out a scream of fury that shook the walls. He immediately went to check on his dark artifacts and finding them missing, passed out.

Sirius had kept the mirrors that they placed in Lucius's property near him at all times, waiting for Lucius to show. He wanted to watch the reaction. Harry decided that it was worth it so he kept the Time Turner on him and waited for Sirius to notify him when Lucius arrived. He turned back time and entered the chamber a few seconds after Sirius hung up the mirror call notifying his earlier self. He and Sirius had a laugh at Lucius's reaction and agreed to share the memory with Remus and Andromeda. When Lucius awoke, he spent the next few hours searching the property looking for clues to who had stolen from him. He found the hair bow and Harry and Sirius could hear him grumble Umbridge's name. He left and Sirius and Harry saw him re-appear in his home office. They watched as Lucius yelled at Narcissa, yelled at his house elves, and yelled at the air. At this point Harry left to get back to his friends and left Sirius to see if Lucius was going to do anything. There was still over a week to go before the New Moon and the discovery of the next Horcrux, and he had to finalize his prank on Umbridge. He would have to wait a little while to see if Lucius did anything. Maybe they would take each other out and he wouldn't have to do anything. Besides, Luna would be waiting for him in his suite for more kissing practice. So far Harry had let Luna do what she wanted and hadn't defined their relationship, but now he felt like he should ask her to go steady with him. He was already thinking of her as his girlfriend, and now he wanted to make it official. Who knows how Luna would react.


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter Thirty Two After Effects

It was three days later that the next part of the prank on Lucius took place, even though the consequences were something that Harry never expected. Lucius had taken that time to floo call almost everyone he knew and accuse them of stealing from him. Harry and Sirius had gotten a lot of names for them to check out, many of which were suspected Death Eaters, and a few that weren't. All this time Lucius had been drinking more and more Firewhisky and the floo calls were getting progressively more slurred. Narcissa had a house elf pull his head out of the fireplace at one in the morning on the second day. Lucius had fallen asleep during a call to the Carrow siblings. On the third day Lucius had an appointment with Fudge in Fudge's office and Harry started the next phase of the plan.

Harry had a golden broach that they had liberated from Lucius, sent to Umbridge as a gift with a forged note that said. 'Thank you for all your hard work on behalf of pureblood rights. Take this as a token of my appreciation. L.M.' Harry had also had Nymphadora send an inter-departmental memo to Umbridge requesting her presence in the Ministers office for a meeting with Lucius Malfoy. As anticipated, Umbridge put on the broach, after checking it for curses of course, and made her way to the Ministers office.

Lucius arrived ten minutes late to the meeting and one could smell the Firewhisky on him ten feet away. When he entered the office, Fudge stood up to greet him and so did Umbridge, and as Umbridge turned around, Lucius noticed the golden broach on her chest. It took a moment for his alcohol addled brain to recognize it as a Malfoy family heirloom and another moment for his brain to catch up with his hand pulling out his wand and sending an Avada Kedavra at Umbridge. She slumped to the floor, a shocked look on her face, before Lucius had realized what he had done. The coward that he was, Fudge screamed and the noise drew Lucius's attention. The Firewhisky was still suppressing his higher reasoning and on instinct he sent another killing curse at the Minister. The Firewhisky might have been affecting his reasoning but it didn't do anything about his aim. Fudge hit the ground, dead, just as a pair of Auror's crashed through the Ministers office door.

The first Auror sent a stunner at Lucius while the second sent a bludgenner. They both hit Lucius at the same time, knocking him out and sending him tumbling head over heels across the Ministers office. The Ministers secretary entered the office a moment later and let out a scream when she saw both the Minister's and Umbridge's dead bodies. Another pair of Auror's arrived soon after that and the first pair secured Lucius and checked the bodies, confirming their deaths.

News of an attack in the Ministers office spread like wildfire and everything else that was going on in the Ministry came to a complete halt. Everyone tried to find out what happened and only twenty minutes later it was confirmed that the Minister was dead. Another thirty minutes later it was confirmed that Lucius Malfoy was the one to murder the Minister. Somehow Umbridge wasn't mentioned more than once or twice.

Amelia Bones had taken charge quickly and locked down the Ministry. The whole floor that the Ministers office was on was cleared and Lucius was transferred to a holding cell. She had also sent a team of Aurors to secure the Malfoy residence and Nymphadora found herself on the team. Nymphadora was shocked to hear what happened to the Minister, but was able to control her emotion about playing a minor part in the event. She did cry on Remus's shoulder later that night but got over it quickly. At heart she was still a Black. Her being on the team sent to investigate the Malfoy residence was fortunate because she was able to 'discover' Lucius's hidden room with his Death Eater regalia and assorted illegal items that he hadn't kept at his 'secure' hideout. Remus was happy that she would get the credit for the discovery even though he had told her about its location. Narcissa had been brought in for questioning while her house was being searched and she told the DMLE that something had been stolen from Lucius recently and that had caused him to start drinking. She kept insisting that there must have been something in the Firewhisky that made him do it, but testing of Lucius and all the bottles in the property found nothing to support her claims.

The Daily Prophet reported the next day on the murders of Minister Fudge and an Undersecretary by Lucius Malfoy. Umbridges name was never mentioned in any article in that edition. There was another article showing a crying Narcissa as an Auror walked past her carrying a Death Eater mask and you could make out Nymphadora in the background of the picture. Draco had left Hogwarts the same day of the article and Harry found out that he and his mother were staying in the Leaky Cauldron because all the Malfoy properties in Britain were locked down and waiting to be searched and they were forbidden to leave the country. Fudge's and Umbridge's houses and offices were also being searched and everything put into storage until the investigation was over and their will could be read. Harry was a little disappointed because this meant that the mirrors would be confiscated and that they wouldn't have eyes and ears in the Ministry anymore.

Four days after the murders, Lucius was found poisoned in his cell and Harry had no clue who might have done it. It could have been former Death Eaters that wanted to avoid having him talk, or it could have been a Fudge supporter, or it could have been someone that wanted revenge on Lucius. The choices were endless and Harry let the mystery lie.

A surprising thing happened when Lucius died, Narcissa's personality changed. It was later discovered that her wedding contract had a clause in it that said that if she ever went against her husband that she would lose her magic. This was discovered when she went to Gringotts and withdrew all the money in the Malfoy vaults and opened a new one under the name Narcissa Black, most of the money had come from the Black family when she married Lucius, so by right it was hers. She then wrote a note to her sister Andromeda explaining the marriage contract and they agreed to meet. Andromeda wanted to trust her sister but agreed to take it slow. When Draco returned to school he could be heard grumbling about the unjust murder of his saintly father and the betrayal of his mother to the Malfoy name.

A fact that Harry and most of Britain discovered was that the Chief Warlock had to appoint the temporary Minister for Magic until a new one could be voted in by the Wizengamot. The next Wizengamot meeting wasn't until May 5th in which the nominees for the position would throw their hats into the ring and the actual vote for the new Minister wouldn't take place until the September 9th Wizengamot meeting. This gave Dumbledore more power, but it also took away a lot more of his time. Two weeks after the murder of Fudge and what's her name, Dumbledore had put Amelia Bones into the position of Minister for Magic. She didn't want the job, she was happy where she was, but she also didn't want it to go to another incompetent like Fudge. Ruffas Scrimgeour had taken over for her as head of the DMLE and Kingsley Shacklebolt had taken over as head Auror. Andromeda and Ted Tonks had told Harry that they were competent Auror's and that Amelia was someone that was uncorrupt able that they could work with to make improvements to the Ministry.

The Ministers funeral was a spectacle of pomp and circumstance. It was arranged before Amelia Bones was named as the temporary Minister and some low level funky had set it up and invited foreign Ministers and other assorted dignitaries in the hope of scoring some points with the new Minister, it had backfired. When Amelia had taken the role as Minister, one of the first things she did was find out who authorized such an extravagant and expensive event without authorization and the unlucky individual found himself out of a job. Lucius's and Umbridge's funerals were quite different. Only Draco showed up to his father's funeral and no one other than the grave diggers showed up to Umbridge's. Most people wanted to avoid association with the Minister murdering Death Eater and no one liked Umbridge. Many people did show up to her gravesite later and pissed on it. In fact her gravesite was vandalized so much that they had to move her body to an unmarked grave.

All the while that the Ministry was in turmoil, Harry spoke to Sirius, Remus, Ted Andromeda, and even Nymphadora about the possibility of making Fantastic University a reality. Sometimes he would meet them as a group and other times as individuals. Everyone was for it but Remus, Ted and Andromeda pointed out some problems they would face. The first was what subjects would be taught there, and how would they get good teachers to teach them? It is a new school in a foreign land after all. Second, which students would be invited and at what age would they start? Unlike Hogwarts and other school, they didn't have access to a list of students that would be entering school when they turned eleven. Which brought up the next point of what the students would have to pay for tuition? Harry had said that he would sponsor some scholarships and so did Sirius, but what would an average student have to pay? Also would they invite other races to join the school and how would they pay?, And what would the public's reaction be to sending their kids to learn next to goblins, werewolves, merpeople and centaurs to name but a few of the possibilities? And would the other magical races even attend? Harry believed that many muggleborns would be ok with this, having grown up outside the bigotry of magical Britain, but again how to contact them. This brought up the subject of security. Having so many of what British wizards classified as dark creatures in one place brought the possibility of an attack on the school to a near certainty, both from the Light and the Dark factions. Remus believed that he could convince several werewolves to attend and asked about the possibility of offering classes to older werewolves who had missed out on an education because of their affliction. He also brought up that werewolves like Fenrier Greyback would have an issue with any werewolf that would attend the school and that they would have to do something about him if they wanted to proceed. Harry knew that Greyback was the one to bite Remus and had heard many other horror stories about the man… beast to vow to end his reign of terror even if they didn't end up opening the school.

Harry knew that many of the application requests that Ted had been receiving were from fangirls and fanboys that were only interested in the Boy-Who-Lived and wouldn't really be interested in attending a foreign school. Others like the twins only did it as a joke and to piss off their mother. Harry still couldn't figure out why Susan Bones had sent in a request, her aunt would never allow her to go to school away from Britain, especially now that she was going to be Minister. All of this was starting to give Harry a headache so he let the decision drop and let the adults figure out all the details. He did ask his friends though what subject they should teach if they opened up the school. Hermione said it would be irresponsible for Harry to open a school but proceeded to write a list of courses she would like to see taught. She stressed that they should teach muggle subjects like science and math so that muggleborns or anyone really could still function in the mundane world if they wanted to leave the magical one, or live in both. The twins took it as a joke and gave Harry a list with courses like 'Pranking 101' and 'How to get away with it.' Neville just said no potions and everyone laughed.

Harry had asked Neville about Susan's application request and all Neville would say was that it was her way of showing support for Harry. When Harry joked why Neville never sent an application request to show support too, Neville said that his gran would have killed him if he did. Harry believed she would have too. When Harry asked Luna about the new school, she just smiled at him and said it would be lovely. Harry didn't know if that meant that the school itself would be lovely or the idea of the school was lovely. One could never tell with Luna. She did kiss nice though.

Speaking of Luna, Harry summoned his Gryffindor courage and asked her to be his official girlfriend. Luna smiled and said in her sing song voice that she had been his girlfriend since before the first task. Harry let this go seeing as he was so happy that she had agreed, even if according to Luna she already was. Since she was now officially his girlfriend, Harry decided to introduce her to Sirius. Entering through Myrtles bathroom, Harry led her to the Chamber of Secrets. Harry decided to slide down the pipe with Luna; he had cleared the pipe of all the slime and crud a long time ago. Luna enjoyed the ride down the pipe and let out a joyful scream all the way. Sirius was waiting at the bottom and helped Harry and Luna up, saying "Welcome to Casa Del Secrets."

Luna said with a big smile, "Hello Stubby Boardman. I like what you have done with the place."

Sirius laughed and said, "I like her pup. But why do you keep calling me Stubby Boardman? Wasn't he the lead singer of the Hobgoblins or something?"

"Because you are Stubby Boardman. My dad wrote that you used the name Sirius Black to hide from your fans after that concert in Bristol when you were attacked onstage by a pair if cursed underwear. It is too bad you picked that name because you had to spend so much time in Azkaban" Luna answered with a straight face.

Sirius just gave her a blank look before laughing again and saying "You got me. Stubby Boardman at your service." Sirius gave an exaggerated bow and pretended to tip his non-existent hat. "Call me Sirius please, I don't want my fans to find me."

"OK Sirius. I'll also tell Daddy to stop printing stories about you, but I don't know if he will. You are good for our sales." Said Luna.

"You don't have to have your dad stop printing stories. He writes the Quibbler right?" said Sirius.

"Yes he does! Do you want a subscription? I can get you one for half off since you are my boyfriend's godfather." Luna said, while bouncing on her feet in excitement.

"No, that's alright. I'll just look at Harry's copy. I don't want to risk my fans finding me." Said Sirius. Luna looked a little disappointed so Sirius added, "I'll buy a subscription for my friends though. In fact, I'll buy a subscription for the entire school for a year. Let Harry know how much it is and I'll get you the money through him."

This had put the smile back on Luna's face. "I'll owl daddy tonight and set it up. Are you sure the royalties from your albums will cover the cost? I don't want to take all your money."

"I'll be fine." Answered Sirius. "How about you Pup? Are you feeling alright?" he said turning toward Harry.

Harry answered, "What do you mean?"

"You bring a lady to a strange and mysterious locale and you let her talk to a strange man. What kind of boyfriend are you?" teased Sirius.

Harry rolled his eyes and said, "The location might be strange and mysterious and you are strange man, but you are also a puppy on the inside."

Sirius laughed and turned into Padfoot. He chased Harry around and licked his and Luna's face, all the while Luna was laughing and chasing after Padfoot. This went on for several minutes before Sirius changed back and said, "Why don't you show the lady around while I set up a little surprise?"

With caution Harry said, "OOOOO K." and he led Luna off to explore the Chamber of Secrets.

Harry was looking back at Sirius when Luna said, "It's OK. You'll like the surprise"

Harry showed Luna the inner chamber and all the rooms except for the mirror room. Luna said nothing about skipping one room and Harry let it pass. Next he introduced Luna to Sssloker, Sssslisssser and Ssssliter. Like what happened in the past, Luna waved at the snakes before they became visible. Sssloker, Sssslisssser and Ssssliter all liked Luna and promised to redouble their efforts in looking out for her.

Back in the outer chamber Sirius was waiting with his hands behind his back. As Harry and Luna approached, he said, "Surprise!" and showed what he was hiding. It was a picture of Harry and Luna asleep in Harry's bed. The covers were up so you couldn't see anything risqué, but if one knew Luna, they would know she was naked under the sheet. Harry was embarrassed, but also a little pleased with the picture. They did look good together. Luna was right he did like the surprise. He did promise himself to get revenge on Sirius and Remus, who could have been the only person to take the picture.

The last thing that Harry was going to show Luna was the heated pool that he found when he first started exploring the chamber. When Luna saw it she let out an excited yelp and started to remove her clothes. Less than a minute later she was naked and in the pool when she said, "It's just like the pool that was in that room when we became boyfriend and girlfriend." Right before she ducked under the water. Harry decided to join her in the pool this time so he stripped down but kept on his boxers. It was over thirty minutes later when Sirius came looking for them and when he got there, he turned back around and left them to their fun. He did shout over his soldier as he left, "Don't do anything I wouldn't do!"


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter Thirty Three Nothing Is Easy

Harry was getting nervous. The New Moon was just under two weeks ago and he still hadn't heard from Barkaxe. He wondered if something went wrong. It would be just his luck that there would be a problem when there was just one Horcrux to go. Harry was about to go to Gringotts to find out what was happening when he received a. owl from Barkaxe telling him to be at the bank at eight the next morning for a meeting in Ragnok's office. This did nothing to relieve his anxiety and he slept fitfully that night. A bleary eyed Harry arrived at Gringotts the next morning and was immediately escorted to Ragnok's office.

"Sit down Mr. Potter." Ragnok said when Harry entered his office. Barkaxe, Sharpblade, and the goblin that was in the office during his last meeting that he never got the name of was also present, not to mention Ragnok.

"Thank you director." Replied Harry, and he sat in the offered chair.

Ragnok started the conversation. "We have discovered the location of the next and last Horcrux, but there is a complication."

Harry thought. _'Of course there is_.' Aloud he said, "What is the complication? Will you be able to destroy the Horcrux?"

"We of course can destroy the Horcrux, in fact this last one will be relatively easy to destroy. The problem arised because the location the Horcrux is presently at also has two Death Eaters and what appears to be a magical construct that is housing the original soul of Voldemort." Answered Ragnok.

"YOU KNOW WHERE VOLDEMORT IS!" shouted Harry.

"Calm down Mr. Potter." Said Barkaxe, placing his hand on Harry snoulder. It was never a good idea to yell in Ragnok's presence.

"Sorry." Harry said sheepishly. He sat down and asked, "Are you sure it's Voldemort? And who are the two Death Eaters?"

"We have indeed confirmed that it is the location that Voldemort is currently using. The two Death Eaters that are accompanying him are a Barty Crouch Jr. and a Peter Pettigrew. Both believed by the Ministry to be dead." Spoke Swiftdeath.

Harry was barely able to control his outburst. After a moment to regain his composure, he said, "What are they doing, and where are they?" Harry body was tense and he desperately wanted to go and capture the traitor.

"They are actually near where we found the first Horcrux, in Little Hangelton. They are using Voldemort's muggle fathers family home, which has been abandoned for several years." Answered Swiftdeath. "We have been observing the building and surrounding area and have identified the Horcrux. Voldemort has made a foolish blunder and made a snake his last Horcrux. The two Death Eaters come and go, always leaving one behind to watch over the body of Voldemort. We haven't been able to determine where the Death Eaters go when they leave the property, but that is not really part of our assignment."

" Thank you for informing me, and your right, it's not your responsibility to follow Barty or Peter. So, killing the snake will destroy the Horcrux, right?" asked Harry.

"Yes." Swiftdeath replied. "That is why it was so foolish of Voldemort to make it his last Horcrux. We are sure that he also enhanced the snake, but it is still easier to destroy than an inanimate object. Since it is the last Horcrux, we planned to just destroy it, but that would alert Voldemort and his Death Eaters to our presence."

"We have asked you to this meeting, Mr. Potter, to determine the best course of action." Said Ragnok. "We can destroy the Horcrux and leave Voldemort and the Death Eaters to you, or we can let you destroy the Horcrux and still deal with Voldemort and the Death Eaters. We can also provide some assistance if we can agree on terms."

Harry was quiet for a few moments thinking, ' _I want to go there right now and destroy all of them so bad, but I better be smart about this. The prophecy said that I would have to be the one to destroy Voldie, but does that mean that I have to be the one to destroy the last Horcrux, or just the last piece of his soul in his body? I still haven't figured out what the power he knows not is. Sirius will want to kill Peter, but we need him to clear his name. It should be easier now that Fudge is gone. I can't believe that Tom would use a snake as his last Horcrux. It would eventually die anyway, even if his other Horcrux's weren't already destroyed. Stupid bastard. Maybe I can get the goblins help in capturing the two Death Eaters while I kill the snake and take care of Voldie? Should I involve the Aurors? No. Everyone thinks Vold's is dead and no one other than Dumbledore would believe me, and I'm not involving that bastard in my plans. I should probably check with Sirius, Remus and the Tonks's before I do anything. I'll have to keep an eye on Sirius when I tell him, probably should give him a calming draught beforehand. Should I tell the goblins about the prophecy? I better, maybe it will help in getting them to help._ ' When Harry finally spoke, he said. "There is a prophecy concerning me and Voldemort that states that I am the only one that can kill him. It also says that I have a power that he doesn't, but I have no idea what I could be. I think that I should be the one to destroy the last Horcrux and maybe the body he is currently in. I would like your help in getting me to the Horcrux and to his current body. I would also like it if I could get your help in capturing Peter Pettigrew so that I can clear my godfathers name. I don't care what happens to the other Death Eater but if you can help in getting him out of my way, it would be appreciated. You could possibly gain some goodwill with the Ministry if you turn over an escaped Death Eater, but I understand if you want to keep the goblins out of it."

"What you ask is possible, but difficult. It would require a lot of the banks time and resources." Said Ragnok.

"I will cover all expenses, and provide a bonus to whomever captures Peter for me." Replied Harry, knowing that galleons were the best way to communicate with goblins.

Ragnok smiled, showing a frightening amount of teeth, and said. "As I said, it is possible. I will leave it in your hands Swiftdeath. Do Gringotts proud and keep our name out of it."

All the goblins other than Ragnok stood up at these words and Harry knew that the meeting was over. He followed Barkaxe and Swiftdeath to Barkaxe's office to hammer out an agreement on what the goblins would do for Harry. "Mr. Potter, after reviewing the location and surrounding areas, I have determined that it would be best to go in early in the morning, just as the sun is rising. The snake has been observed hunting in the grounds surrounding the property at this time and it would be relatively easy to take it out while it is away from the other Death Eaters and Voldemort. Mr. Platt and I can take down the wards that are surrounding the property easily. Whoever put them up had little knowledge on wards as they are very simple and low powered. Mr. Platt would than accompany you and whomever you bring into the property to subdue the Death Eaters and Voldemort while I raise anti-portkey and anti-apparition wards around the property. We should be able to time it so we are in position to strike before they are alerted by the new wards. It would be best if I never enter the property since it would be a violation of our last treaty for a goblin to engage in battle with wizards." Explained Swiftdeath.

"That sounds like an excellent plan. I believe that I can convince a few trustworthy people to help out." Said Harry.

"It would be safer if we had more people to help subdue the Death Eaters since you want them alive. I believe that the same trick you used to map out the Black Lake for the second task be used on this location, it would greatly increase our odds of success. Don't you agree Mr. Potter?"

Harry smirked. "Figured out how I did it huh?"

"Your godfather was very vocal about your success when he last visited Gringotts." Replied Barkaxe.

"Damn mutt." Harry said under his breath. "I can have it ready in a few days. How big is the property and the surrounding area? I need to know to create the right amount of rune stones for the mapping."

"The property sits on two kilometers of land but the wards only cover half a kilometer. I will take you to our observation post when the meeting is over so you can have a look for yourself." Said Swiftdeath.

"That should work." Said Harry. "Is anyone other than Josh going to be joining us from Gringotts?"

"Gringotts wants to keep as low a profile as possible. I would not recommend too large of a raiding party. You should only bring two or three people with you in support. With only the two Death Eaters and Voldemort in a limited body, they should be sufficient." Said Swiftdeath.

Barkaxe added, "We also have to determine how you want the prisoners handled. Gringotts is not a prison and if you want to use them to clear your godfather, you will have to deliver them into Ministry custody."

"One of the people I plan on asking to help with the raid is an Auror." Said Harry. Barkaxe was about to interrupt when Harry continued. "She is trustworthy and will not mention the goblins if I ask her not to."

"Will she be willing to sign a non-disclosure contract?' asked Barkaxe.

"I can ask her, but it might be against Ministry rules. She is Sirius's niece so she can be trusted." Harry insisted.

"Who else were you thinking about bringing along?" asked Swiftdeath.

"Remus Lupin, he is familiar with Peter, and I was thinking of bringing Sirius too."

"We are familiar with Remus Lupin and have hired him as extra security on foreign assignments from time to time. He will be acceptable. I would not recommend bringing Sirius Black along because if there is any Ministry involvement, he will be detained and possibly kissed before his innocence can be explained." Said Swiftdeath.

Harry had thought that the Ministry's involvement was unlikely, but with his luck it would probably happen. He was also a little nervous about Sirius's reaction to seeing Peter again after he escaped the last time. Sirius was doing better, but he still was impulsive. "OK, I'll get him to stay behind, but It'll be hard. Do you think that will be enough people, or should I get someone else?"

"That should be enough. We want to keep it small after all. Let us talk about fee's…." said Barkaxe, and they talked for another twenty minutes coming to a mutually benificial arrangement, at least according to the goblins. Harry would pay any price if it meant the end of Voldemort.

A Portkey trip later found Harry and Swiftdeath on the outskirts of Little Hangleton looking at the Riddle House in the distance. Josh joined them and they looked around the property under disillusionment spells, showing him the lay of the land. Harry got all the information he needed and left back to Hogwarts. He had a meeting to call with the Marauders and the Tonks's. He wasn't looking forward to Sirius's reaction to being left behind while Harry faced Peter and Voldemort.

When Harry got to the chamber, Sirius was nowhere to be seen and Dobby was anxiously waiting with a note. The note said, 'Harry, I have been trying to reach you on your mirror but Dobby said that it was on your bed. He also said that you were in Gringotts and he couldn't disturb you. I told him to give you this note when you came back to the castle. It is very important that you not go to your suite or anywhere in the castle until I speak to you. I am with Remus, Ted and Andromeda in the cave where we met up earlier this year. Come meet us as soon as you read this. Talk to nobody. Sirius.'

Harry put down the letter and thought _, 'I wonder what that's all about. He did seem serious. He couldn't know about Voldemort could he? I better go._ ' Fifteen minutes later Harry was at the cave and called out, "Padfoot, are you there?"

Remus stepped out of the mouth of the cave and said. "Did you check yourself for tracking and listening charms?"

"Of course. What's going on? What happened?" asked Harry.

"Come inside, there is much to tell you." Said Remus and Harry followed him inside the cave. When he entered he saw Ted and Andromeda talking in hushed tones to each other, and a nervously pacing Sirius.

"There you are pup!" Sirius practically shouted when he saw Harry enter. "Are you OK? Have you been in the castle yet?"

"Calm down Sirius. I'm fine and I haven't been back to the castle yet. I entered the chamber to talk to you when Dobby gave me your note. What's going on?" said Harry.

"What's going on," said Remus, before Sirius could answer, "Is that we heard some disturbing news from the mirror in Dumbledore's office."

"What? Was he singing show tunes again?" Harry said jokingly.

"No, He told Snivelus to brew a loyalty potion that he is planning to dose you with." Said Sirius, not a trace of humor on his face.

"What!?" was all Harry could say.

"Yes, He has become more and more desperate to have control of your life, now that he had no official reason to be in it. As you know he has been trying to use Legilimany on your friends for the last few weeks. So far they have been passive attempts that have failed because of the training you have been helping them with. However, he seems to be upping the ante quite a bit if he is resorting to potions." Said Remus

Hary was getting really pissed off. Dumbledore had now moved from being an annoyance to an official enemy with this action. But what to do? "Do we know when he is going to attempt to dose me, and how?"

"Snape said the potion would be ready by tomorrow and we believe that he will try to dose you during the evening meal. You have been skippipg breakfast and lunch in the Great Hall for most of the year, so we believe he will try during dinner."

"Is there anything we can do legally?" Harry asked Ted.

"We never overheard Dumbledore tell Snape to make the potion. It was all written down with a dicta-quill. We would have to wait until you were dosed to have you checked for foreign substances, and then it would be hard to prove who the loyalty potion was keyed to. The potion they were discussing will not show on any known test who it is keyed to, only the persons reactions to the potion will give any clue, but no real proof that the Wizengamot will listen to at this time. It will show up as a loyalty potion, nut nothing else. I don't believe that you want to risk any possible loyalty to that man so letting yourself be dosed is out. We can confiscate the goblet and sent it to the DMLE, but again, there is no way to tie it to Dumbledore. He is playing a smart game." Answered Ted.

"Is there anything we can do?" asked Harry to everyone.

Andromeda spoke up. "There might be something that can be done. It probably won't catch Dumbledore, but it will cause him problems. I don't think you will like it though."

"What…have Hagrid drink it instead of Harry. He's already overly loyal to the goat fucker." Said Sirius, semi seriously.

"Not exactly." Replied Andromeda. "We would have… Susan Bones drink it."

"WHAT? No!" shouted Harry.

"Listen." Said Andromeda, and she waited for Harry to calm down. She would be under its influence for only a day if all goes to plan, and Dumbledore won't know that she has taken it so he can't use it against her. My plan is to switch the dosed item with her and then send an anonymous letter to her aunt saying that Snape was seen dosing her food and that she is acting strange. Amelia is so protective of her niece that she will check it out immediately. We then make sure there is evidence that points to Snape as the potioneer and sit back and watch what happens. Susan will be perfectly safe."

"I don't know. A lot can go wrong and Neville will kill me if he ever finds out that I let his girlfriend's friend get potioned." Harry said hesitantly.

"There are a lot of variables with this plan, it's true. But if it is successful, you will have gotten rid of Snape and put more suspicion on Dumbledore. The down side is that Dumbledore will know we are on to him, but if we do anything, he will probably know then as well. This way we get something out of it." Replied Andromeda.

"I don't know." Harry still said.

Sirius spoke up, "Listen Pup, Dumbledore has crossed a line. I don't like the idea of having an innocent girl involved in our mess, but we have to do something. The public still has too much faith in Dumbledore to do anything through the Ministry, even though you've been doing a good job with the Prophet Ted."

"Let me read the transcripts of the conversation." Said Harry. Ted handed him a piece of parchment. After reading for a few minutes, Harry said. "OK, I'll do it. You could tell just by reading how happy Snape was to be poisoning me. Are we sure that there will only be loyalty potion in whatever he is going to dose me with? I don't trust Snape not to add something else to mess with me if given the chance."

Andromeda answered. "Fortunately for the loyalty potion to be effective there can be no other potions ingested at the same time. I have a potions mastery that I use when I work part time in St. Mungos." She added to explain how she knew so much about loyalty potions.

"OK, let's do this." Said Harry, and they got to planning.

A couple of hours later after the plan had been dissected and looked at from every angle; Harry felt that he was satisfied. As they were all about to leave, Sirius asked, "So what did they tell you at Gringotts?"

Harry answered, "Oh yeah! They found Voldemort."

"WHAT!?" everyone shouted.


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter Thirty Four Taking Out the Trash

"What do you mean you found Voldemort? Where is he?" exclaimed Sirius.

"Yes I know where he is and I have it under control. Calm down." Harry replied, doing his best to keep Sirius and the others from over reacting. It wasn't working.

"Calm Down!" Everyone said at the same time. It was a little creepy in Harry's opinion.

Sirius was the first to go on, "How can we calm down when you tell us you know where the darkest wizard of our time is hiding?"

"Because he can't be killed until we get rid of the last Horcrux." Harry answered. This did get everyone to calm down a bit.

Remus asked. "And do you know where the last Horcrux is? Isn't that why you went to Gringotts?"

"Yes I do." Harry answered. "They are at the same place, along with two Death Eaters."

"Which one's?" asked Ted.

Harry looked at Sirius and answered, slowly taking out his wand while he spoke. "Barty Crouch Jr…"

"The bastard that entered you into the Tri Wizard Tournament?" interrupted Sirius.

"Yeah, him and… Peter Pettigrew." Continued Harry.

Sirius response was immediate and predictable. He shouted "WHAT!" and headed for the mouth of the cave to hunt the rat down, even if he had no idea where he was. Harry hadn't told the location yet.

Harry sent a partial body bind at the back of Sirius as he was leaving and said, "Where do you think you're going?"

"Sirius yelled, "LET ME GO! I'M GOING TO KILL THE RAT!"

Harry responded in a stern voice. "NO, you're not! First of all you have no idea where he is. Second, we need him alive to clear your name. And third, the place he's at is warded and you wouldn't even get close before you were stopped and probably killed. Think Padfoot. This is the same attitude that got you thrown into Azkaban for eleven years."

Of all the points that Harry made, it was the last one that stopped Sirius from trying to leave. Harry released the body bind and Sirius said sheepishly, "You're right. Sorry pup."

"That's OK. I wanted to go and capture him when I was first told where he was, but I held back. It is important to do it right. If we do, we can kill three birds with one stone. The Horcrux, Voldemort and Pettigrew all at the same time and place. We probably won't get another chance like this again and I don't want to waste it." Said Harry.

"What are we going to do?" Asked Andromeda, joining the discussion.

Harry said, "I had a talk with Swiftdeath and Barkaxe after my meeting with Ragnok, and they are going to help. At least Swift death and Joshua Platt are. You remember them from when we got the Horcrux from your place, right Sirius?"

Sirius nodded and said, "Yeah, I liked them."

"Well, they are going to take down the wards surrounding the property and place anti-apparition and anti-Portkey ward up to keep the bastards from escaping. Then Josh and a few others will go in to capture Peter and Barty while I take care of the Horcrux and Voldemort." Harry replied.

"Who are the others?" Remus asked.

Sirius also said, "Why are you going to have to take on Voldemort and the Horcrux?" Ted and Andromeda looked on and were wondering the same thing.

"Well, according to the prophecy, I'm the one that has to defeat Volds." Said Harry. "To be on the safe side, it was determined that I should be the one to destroy the last Horcrux too. Don't worry, it should be easy. Voldie did something stupid and made a snake his last one. It will be relative easy to kill."

"And how about facing Voldemort?" asked Andromeda.

"At the moment his last piece of soul is in a magical construct. He is wakened and should be easy to subdue, especially if I can sneak up on him." Harry said.

And if you can't?" asked Remus.

"Well, that's why I've been training. Also why I want you to go with me." Responded Harry.

"Of course." Replied Remus.

"I'll be there too." Said Sirius.

Harry looked pensive before he said, "I don't think that will be a good idea Sirius."

"What do you mean it's not a good idea. Of course I'm going to be there. I have to watch your back and I want to get the rat." Sirius responded, getting a little angry.

"There are a few reasons actually. First off was your reaction to learning about Pettigrew. I don't think that you will be able to control yourself." Said Harry. Sirius started to interrupt when Harry spoke over him. "I know you say you will, but I don't want to risk it, or you." Sirius hung his head and Harry continued. "And I can't guarantee that the Ministry wont get involved, and if they do, I don't want you anywhere near them. Also, if we're going to turn over Peter and clear your name, we might have to give testimony and if you are there it could cloud the issue. I also want to have Nymphadora with us and she would get in trouble if she didn't turn you in.."

"I still want to be there." Said Sirius, starting to mope.

"I want you there too, but I want you safe more." Responded Harry. Turnng to Ted and Andromeda, he asked, "Do you think Nymphadora will come with me?"

"Ted responded, "I believe she will." He turned toward Remus and said, "Don't you think so Remus?" There was a little smile on his and Andromeda's face and Remus was starting to blush.

"I think so. She would want to clear Sirius's name." Remus responded, trying to hide his flushed cheeks.

"Sirius's name…right." Replied Ted.

Sirius just went for the kill. "I think it is so she could watch your furry backside, don't you Harry?"

Remus's cheeks reddend and Harry, trying to help him out said, "As long as she helps out, I don't care why she is there."

Andromeda spoke up at this moment, "I want to go too." Ted Nodded along with his wife.

"Swiftdeath wanted to keep the group small, I only need one more person if Remus and Nymphadora are coming with me. Also someone should stay with Sirius" said Harry.

"Hey!" Remarked Sirius. "I don't need a babysitter."

"Are you sure?" said Harry.

"I… probably don't need a babysitter." Replied Sirius.

Ted and Andromeda had huddled together, discussing who would go and who would stay. After a few minutes they broke apart and Andromeda said. "I'm going to go with you. Ted will stay with Sirius and will discuss how to clear his name now that we will have Pettigrew in custody, hopefully."

"OK. Thank you. Hey Sirius?" Said Harry.

"What?"

"Will you lend Andromeda your Basilisk coat? It should give her some extra protection. I'm going to give Nymphadora my extra coat." Said Harry. Remus had a little smile on his face at these words.

"Not a problem" responded Sirius. "I'll give it to you later."

"OK. It's getting late and I have to get somethings ready for the raid. Swiftdeath said that we will do it in five days. It also seems that we have to deal with Dumbledore and Snape before then. Ted, Andromeda, can you ask Nymphadora if she'll help out?" said Harry.

"I'll do it!" said Remus, and the blush returned.

Harry smiled and said, "OK you can ask. I'll skip dinner in the Great Hall tonight, but I have a feeling that we will have to deal with the bastards tomorrow."

Later that night, Harry sent a message to the twins over their mirrors to meet in his suite. When they arrived, he told them that he needed a distraction during the evening meal the next night when he gave them a signal. It was important that the teachers wouldn't notice anything on the Gryffindor or Hufflepuff table. The twins were more than happy to cause mayhem and didn't even ask what Harry needed the distraction for. They did ask for some potion ingredients that Harry was happy to provide. The signal was agreed to and the potion ingredients passed over then the twins left. Harry hoped that using them wasn't a mistake. Sure they would cause a distraction, but the size and consequences were still a mystery. _'Oh well, more problems for Dumbledore.'_ Harry thought. He then got to work on the mapping rune stones.

Harry spent the next day in his suite working on the mapping rune stones and something he came up with that could help with the raid. His friends stopped by during the day and gave him a pleasant distraction. Hermione gave her report on past third tasks and Harry promised he would read it later. The twins were smiling at him the whole time they were in the suite and gave him a thumb's up when they left. Harry was a little awkward around Neville, not looking him in the eye when talking to him. He was feeling guilty about what he was about to do to Susan. They all agreed to sit together that night for dinner and Harry got back to work.

At dinner, Harry tried to look normal, even though he was extremely nervous. It was hard for him to not look at the head table or Susan. Dumbledore made the dinner announcement and food appeared on the table. Harry lifted the goblet to his mouth and his poison detecting necklace and his magic detection ring went off. Dumbledore and Snape had indeed dosed his pumpkin juice.

He sent the signal to the twins and a moment later charmed paper airplanes entered the Great hall, heading for the head table. They were modified howlers and all at once they unfolded and started singing the school song in a voice pitched so high it sounded like Mickey Mouse was on Helium. When the song was over they exploded into clouds of smoke that covered the head table. Using the surprisingly good distraction, Harry was distracted himself at the beginning, Harry switched his goblet with Susan's. The whole of the hall was distracted and no one noticed the switch. When the smoke cleared, Harry made a production of drinking his pumpkin juice, making sure that Dumbledore and Snape saw him drink. When he looked at the head table, Snape had a nasty smirk on his face. Harry looked away and thought, ' _I got you, you bastard. Smirk all you want, tomorrow it will be wiped off your face_.'

When dinner was over, Remus escorted Harry to his suite. They didn't want to give Dumbledore a chance to corner Harry and give him a chance to discover that his potion didn't work. The twins joined Harry and Remus and Neville went to visit with Hannah and Hermione was visiting with Krum. "That was great!" Harry said when they got to the suite.

"It was quite impressive." Said Remus.

"Oh thank"

"You, oh great"

"Marauder and"

"Marauder Jr."

"Did the"

"Distraction help you"

"Do what you"

"Needed to do?" finished who Harry assumed was George.

"Yeah, it really helped. What did you use the potion ingredients I gave you for? I don't think they had anything to do with the prank." Asked Harry.

"They didn't,"

"We just"

"Needed them" they said with a smirk.

Harry just face palmed. "You could have just asked."

"Technically"

"We did." Finished Fred. Remus just laughed at their antics.

"Git's." Mumbled Harry.

"So Harrikins"

"What did you"

"Need the"

"Distraction for?"

"Tell us." They said together with a puppy dog look on their faces.

"I'll tell you later." Harry said and their faces took on a sad look. "I promise. Be in the Great Hall tomorrow morning, and whatever you do don't tell Neville I had anything to do with … whatever happens."

Remus spoke up. "It is very serious and could have great repercussions."

"OK"

"We'll keep"

"Quiet."

"Prankster's Honor." They said together.

"Thank you." Responded Harry.

A few hours after the twins and Remus left, Harry snuck out to the owlery under his invisibility cloak.

When he removed his cloak, Hedwig flew down and landed on his shoulder. She started to nip his ears and Harry said, "Hey beautiful. Sorry I haven't been spending enough time with you." Hedwig gave a hoot. "Your right, I'll try harder." Hedwig went back to picking through his hair. Harry walked over to the other owls and called one down. Hedwig gave an indignant hoot and Harry said. "I' know and I'm sorry but I can't use you for this." Hedwig spread her wings and slapped Harry on the back of his head before flying off and turning her back on him. "Don't be like that Hedwig. I can't use you for this. You're too beautiful and everyone will recognize you. I promise that I will only use you from now on. Please!" Hedwig refused to turn around. Harry attached the anonymous note to the Minister that he had written to the school owl and said. "Deliver this to the Ministers office the first thing in the morning. Make sure they take it seriously and then leave." The owl hooted and flew off. Turning back to Hedwig, Harry said. "I will give you extra bacon!" but Hedwig still ignored him. Sighing, Harry left.

It was another fitful night and a tired Harry arrived in the Great Hall the next morning. Flitwick, Snape, Sprout and McGonagall were sitting at the head table and Harry also noticed Susan sitting with Hannah. She was constantly looking at the head table and Harry knew that she was looking for Dumbledore. Another wave of guilt washed over Harry and he sat down at the Gryffindor table. He spent the morning picking at his food until he heard a commotion at the entrance hall. Amelia Bones entered; followed by three Auror's and what looked like a healer, and made her way to the Hufflepuff table. Amelia talked to her niece and then the healer pulled out her wand and cast a spell at Susan. A moment later the Healer said something to Amelia and she let out a barking order to the Auror's that were with her.

At the same time Dumbledore entered the Great Hall and said. "Minister, what a delightful surprise. What brings you to Hogwarts this fine day?" The twinkles in Dumbledore's eyes were on full blast and Harry noticed them from across the hall.

The other teachers had left the head table and were making their way to the commotion when Amelia responded. "Arrest him!" she said, pointing at Snape.

The Aurors moved toward Snape when Dumbledore said, "What is this about Amelia? Why are you arresting my teacher?"

Amelia removed the note that Harry had sent her and said, "I received a note that said Snape had slipped my niece a potion last night. I have brought my own healer that has confirmed that she is under a loyalty potion. I am going to question your pet Death Eater and find out what is going on."

"When the loyalty potion was mentioned, Dumbledore looked at Harry from the corner of his eye. He then said. "Let us take this to my office. No need to case any more of a scene."

Amelia agreed but sent two of her Auror's to search Snape's quarters. Dumbledore made a protest but Amelia overruled him. The last Auror accompanied her and Snape to the Headmasters office while the healer took Susan to the hospital wing, Hannah following.

The twins had a shocked look on their faces, in fact the whole hall had a similar look. They looked between Susan walking out the hall, Harry, Neville, and Snape in handcuffs. They gave a knowing nod to Harry and started to talk to their neighbors.

The whole morning, Harry had an open communication mirror in his pocket, on the other end was Sirius and Dobby. When Amelia had arrived and ordered the arrest of Snape, it was the signal for Dobby to pop into his chambers, making sure that there was evidence that it was Snape that had potioned Susan. There were indeed several vials of the potion that he was going to be used on Harry later so they didn't have to fake any of the evidence. Before Dobby exited, he removed any of the spy mirrors and left a bauble on Snape's desk that had a listening charm on it. The charm wouldn't lead anywhere, but it would give a plausible reason that someone over heard something about the potion. It was mainly for Dumbledore to explain why his plan didn't work, hopefully without giving up the mirrors. When Dobby left Snape's quarters, his next stop was to pack up anything personal from Harry's suite. Harry would still use the suite during the day, but he wasn't going to spend the night in the castle anymore. He was sad about losing his sleeping arrangement with Luna, but he didn't trust his safety when Dumbledore was still in Hogwarts. Dobby would also be exchanging the spy mirror in Dumbledore's office soon. It wasn't worth the risk of discovery now that Dumbledore knew, that Harry knew what he was up to. Hopefully with its removal, all the other mirrors in the castle would remain undiscovered.

In all the excitement, Harry made his way out of the castle and left Hogwarts grounds. He wanted to be recorded as leaving. He then made his way to the chamber from the forest entrance, joining Sirius in listening to Dumbledore's office. "What did I miss?" he asked as he neared Sirius.

"Just Dumbledore's excuses that it must be a mistake or that it was a prank that went wrong. That he has full faith in Snape. You know, the usual rubbish." Answered Sirius.

Harry had good timing because after Sirius had finished telling him what happened, the two Aurors entered the office and went immediately toward the Minister. "What did you find?" she asked.

The first Auror said. "We found many illegal potions and ingredients along with these." He then pulled out five vials with a orangish colored potion inside. "This is the same type of potion discovered in your niece."

Amelia turned and glared at Snape while Snape spluttered, "I never potioned your niece, I…"

Dumbledore cut him off by saying, "I'm sure this is one big misunderstanding."

Amelia spat, "Misunderstanding my ass. Charles you and Phillip take the prisoner back to the Ministry. Greg, you accompany me to the hospital wing to check up on my niece." All three Aurors nodded and one followed the Minister while the other two were on either side of the prisoner. Unbeknownst to anyone Dumbledore set a silent spell that hit Snape in the back. None of the Auror's noticed anything but Harry and Sirius saw it through the mirror.

"I wonder what Dumbledore just did?" asked Harry.

"No idea, I couldn't see the wand movements. Probably something to cover his ass." Replied Sirius.

"Probably." Said Harry. "He now knows that we know he was trying to poison me. Life should get more interesting. I'll send Ted the memory of what happened in the Great Hall and I'll include the transcripts of what happened in Dumbass's office. He should get the Prophet on the story right away."


	36. Chapter 36

Chapter Thirty Five Riddle Manor

The next morning the country was in an uproar because the Daily Prophet had reported that an ex Death Eater had potioned the niece of the Minister. There were many wild theories as to why he might have done it but no answers were forthcoming. Several of the articles also mentioned that the ex Death Eater was under the protection of Dumbledore at the time and questioned if maybe the Headmaster might have had anything to do with it, or if he was just too old to control his staff anymore. Of course he had everything to do with it but there wasn't any proof, but the sheep never needed proof when rumor would do. There were also other articles that Ted and Harry had prepared ahead of time that showed the declining potion scores and lack of new healers and Aurors that had been happening since Snape became the potion teacher at Hogwarts. The gist of the article was that it was a plot to destabilize the British Wizarding World to make it easier for the next dark lord to take over. Dumbledore was also lambasted for letting it happen.

Harry avoided the castle that day, instead staying with Sirius in the chamber. He wanted to avoid Dumbledore and Neville. It wouldn't have mattered because Dumbledore had spent the entire day at the Ministry trying to get Snape released and trying to salvage his reputation after it had taken a hit. This had given Dobby time to sneak into Dumbledore's office and replace the mirror. He had also removed an inch from the bottom of Dumbledore's desk chair as revenge for messing with his master. Neville on the other hand had mirror called him, along with the twins, Hermione and Luna. Luna was the only one who knew where he was and had insisted on joining him in the chamber. He met her in Mrytles bathroom to let her into the chamber and spent most of the day with her in the heated pool. Luna said as the day was coming to a close, "It will be alright. Susan is fine and Neville will be OK too." She always knew what to say to make Harry feel better, even if he didn't always understand what she meant.

Susan had been removed from Hogwarts and was currently recovering in St. Mungos after having the loyalty potion flushed from her system and there was still a question of if she would return to the school. Harry hoped so, for Neville's sake and to ease his guilty conscience. Harry knew that Neville fancied Hannah, nut did he also fancy Susan? All the signs pointed to a relationship forming between all three. " _Good on Neville."_ Harry thought.

Because Harry had no spy mirrors in the Ministry anymore, he had to rely on Ted and Andromeda, who spent the day at the Ministry, to get any information. That night Harry and Remus got together with the Tonks's at the Tonks's house, Sirius joined the conversation via the mirrors. "What a day." Andromeda said as everyone got settled in the Tonks's sitting room.

"You can say that again." Responded Ted. "It was a madhouse at the Ministry."

"What happened?" asked Remus.

"Well. The search of Snape's house uncovered many more illegal potions and potion ingredients. They also uncovered a store of Polyjuice and several hairs from current and former female Hogwarts students. There was also several female school uniforms." Said Andromeda, making a face.

Harry said, "EW!" and laughter could be heard from Sirius's mirror. Remus and Ted just had had a similar disgusted facial expression.

Andromeda continued, "Just when you didn't think it was possible to think less of the man, you find out something like this."

Ted spoke up, "It is going to be a big story in the Prophet tomorrow. We also think we know what that spell Dumbledore hit Snape with was."

"What?" asked Harry.

"All morning Dumbledore was insisting that something must have made Snape do what he did, obviously all the evidence had convinced him that he wouldn't be able to make it out to be a prank or something like that. So Dumbledore insisted that they examine Snape, and guess what they found?" asked Andromeda.

Remus beat Harry to the punch this time. "What?"

"Snape showed signs of being under the Imperius curse." Answered Andromeda.

"Bullshit!" was heard from Sirius. "Snivilis is a master Occlumens and Legilemens, he wouldn't be able to be put under the Imperius curse."

"I know that and you know that and apparently Amelia knows that but, with signs of the curse on him and Dumbledore as Chief Warlock…" Andromeda let the comment hang.

"Right, so that is the spell you think Dumbledore used? He did it so the test that he insisted on would show it and he could get his pet Death Eater off?" asked Remus.

"That is what we think, yes." replied Ted.

"That sneaky bastard!" exclaimed Harry. "So is Snape going to get off?"

Before either Ted or Andromeda could answer, Sirius said, "It sounds like old Sev got off plenty." Everyone groaned.

"It seems that he will escape unscathed for potioning the Ministers Niece, but there is nothing that Dumbledore can do to … help Snape escape punishment for the illegal potions and ingredients. The Polyjuice, while disturbing, is not illegal." Answered Ted.

"I'm sure he will still try." Said Harry.

"No doubt, but the Minister is rightfully pissed and doesn't believe for one second that Snape was Imperiused. The potion was flushed from Susan right away, but she could tell that it wasn't keyed to Snape and suspects Dumbledore's involvement. Fortunately Amelia was never one to blindly follow anyone. It is why we want to support her to become the permanent Minister in the next election." Said Andromeda.

"I'm OK with that. What do you think Padfoot?" asked Harry.

"I think it is a good idea. I only have good memories if her when I was an Auror." Answered Sirius.

"I think it is a good idea too." Said Remus. "And Dora likes her."

"Dora?" teased Sirius. "Is my niece sharing pillow talk about her work day with you now"?

"N-no!" stammered Remus. "She just, she just mentioned it at one point." He said, trying to cover for his choice of words and hide the rising blush in his cheeks.

"Suuure." Drawled Sirius, and everyone, other than Remus, laughed.

"Whatever. So what can we do to help her become the next Minister?" asked Remus.

"Well the first thing we have to do is convince her to run for the position. Remember, she didn't want to take the temporary Ministers position, so it might be hard to convince her to stay on." Said Andromeda.

"The Daily Prophet will support her campaign." said Ted. "And hopefully, if we capture Pettigrew and Crouch Jr., it will give her extra public support."

"Help her in any way you can, but make sure that she knows that it isn't a bribe." Harry said to Ted and Andromeda. "What's next on the Shit on Dumbledore agenda?"

"The Prophet will still 'hint' at Dumbledore's involvement in the potioning scandal and we have uncovered some things about his past. Did you know that he was friend with Gellert Grindelwald when they were both young?" said Ted.

"Really?" said Remus. "But how? He dueled him to end the wizarding portion of the Second World War."

"Apparently they were neighbors one summer and got together. Gellert ran off when Dumbledore's sister died under mysterious circumstances." Answered Ted.

"Dumbledore had a sister?" asked a confused Harry.

"Apparently. He also has a brother, if you didn'tknow." Said Remus.

"I didn't. Who's his brother, and is he still alive?" asked Harry.

"His brother's name is Aberforth and he is the barman of the Hog's Head Inn in Hogsmeade." Said Sirius from the mirror.

"The other bar in Hogsmeade?"said Harry.

"Yup." Answered Sirius.

"So what do you think happened to his sister?" asked Remus.

"No idea." Answered Ted. "For our purposes it doesn't matter."

"Right." Said Harry. "Make sure we don't outright lie, but go after Dumbles with all you have. He crossed a line that he can't walk back over, no matter his justification. Feel free to do the same to Snape"

"I was planning too." Replied Ted.

"Good, I'll leave you too it. By the way, did…" Harry looked at Remus and continued, "… Dora agree to join us on our raid on Riddle Manor?"

"Yes she did. She was able to get three day off from work before the mess started and will be joining us." Said Remus

"Good, we have a meeting with Swiftdeath in two days to go over the plan with the whole group." Said Harry.

"We'll be there." said Remus.

"Us too." Said Andromeda.

"Good, the meeting is at eleven in the morning." Said Harry. "We should end here. I'll see you soon Padfoot." Harry had been sleeping in the Chamber of Secrets in his trunk. Sirius was happy to have Harry near.

It was fortunate that Dobby had removed the spy mirror when he did because Dumbledore had spent the night tearing up his office looking for anything that might have given up his plan to potion Harry. Dumbledore had found the listening device in Snapes office and it had caused him to search his own. Dumbledore spent the next day at the Ministry again and Harry was able to visit with his friends and finish up the mapping rune stones. The previous night Luna had mirror called him from Mrytles bathroom and they spent the night together in Harry's trunk. Harry was happy to have his bed partner back, even if he wasn't in his suite.

The day of the meeting, Harry arrived at Gringotts at five in the morning. He met Swiftdeath and they both took a Portkey to Riddle Manor to set up the rune stones. It took then over two hours to set them all up. They were being very careful, and careful took time. When they were done the map showed everyone and everything that was in the manor and grounds. The map showed Tom Riddle and Peter Pettigrew on the second floor in what appeared to be a bedroom, and on the first floor was Barty Crouch Jr. The snake Horcrux was named Nagini and was on the grounds. Avoiding the snake was the main reason it had taken so long to place the stones. Harry had tied the rune stones to five maps and he gave one to Swiftdeath. He was going to keep the other one for himself and give the rest to the other team members to use when they raid the manor. The other map he was going to leave with Sirius who was going to be with Ted in Ragnok's office when the raid was going to happen. The previous day, Ragnok 'asked' to be made aware of what was happening when he learned of the maps and insisted that Sirius join him to watch the operation. Ted was also invited and couldn't refuse. The maps along with the communication mirrors that Harry promised to take along had done a lot to relieve some of the fears that Sirius had about letting Harry go without him. He was still a nervous wreck.

Harry and Swiftdeath arrived back at Gringotts a little after eight and Harry decided to spend the remaining time to see what was happening in Diagon Alley in his Sam Underhill personality. He made his way to the Leaky Cauldron and listened to the patrons as they discussed the mornings Daily Prophet. Everyone was outraged when they heard about Snape's Polyjuice collection, but the big topic of conversation was Dumbledore's friendship with Grindelwald. This one fact seemed to be doing more than anything else in making people question Dumbledore. After eating Breakfast and people watching, it was getting close to eleven so Harry made his way back to Gringotts and went to the conference room that the goblins had provided for the meeting. The room only cost ten sickles to rent. ' _Greedy little blighters_." Harry thought.

A few minutes after eleven, everyone had arrived. It was a square table in the room and Harry, Sirius and Remus sat on one side. On the other was Ted, Andromeda and Nymphadora. The other side had Swiftdeath, Barkaxe and Joshua Platt. The last side was empty but there was an ornately decorated chair that was empty. Harry wondered if Ragnok would be joining the meeting, the chair looked like the one in his office. The maps were set before everyone and Barkaxe started the meeting. "Thank you all for coming. We are here to co-ordinate all of our efforts in removing this blight from our world."

Everyone gave an agreeable nod or quick you're welcome before Harry said. "Yes, thank all of you."

Barkaxe continued, "Tomorrow at five in the morning we will commence the raid on Riddle Manor. We believe that the early hour will provide the element of surprise that will help make this a successful operation. You all should arrive at Gringotts at four that morning by Portkeys that we will provide. We will go over the plan one more time then and relocate to the staging point near the manor. At the signal, Swiftdeath and Mr. Platt will bring down the wards and place their own. Then the two teams, including Mr. Platt, will enter the grounds and take down the two Death Eaters while Mr. Potter dispatches the snake Horcrux before moving on to take care of Voldemort."

"I still don't like that you have to take care of the Horcrux and Voldemort." Sirius said to Harry.

"I know, I know. It can't be helped. I have a plan to help with the snake and have come up with something that should help all of us out." Replied Harry.

"What?" asked Nymphadora. She had quickly agreed to help and was looking forward to the raid. So far she hadn't done too much as an Auror.

"Well, I plan on releasing a drugged rabbit for the snake to eat. It should make it easier to kill. I have also come up with these." Harry said and removed several rune covered stones about the size of a golf ball, only flat, not round. Before anyone could ask what they were, Harry continued. "I call them Stun Stones. You charge them up with magic and when the runes glow, you have five seconds to throw them at your target before they go off."

What happens when they go off?" asked Ted.

"They release a stun field three feet in all directions for a sphere six feet around. Anything in that field will be stunned just like a Stupify. It also works well in bringing down a regular Protego shield." Answered Harry.

"Cool!" exclaimed Nymphadora. Everyone at the table had to agree.

Sirius said, "I can tell you that they work. I think Harry had too much fun trying them out on me."

"I brought several for us to practice with before the raid so you can get used to them. During the raid everyone will have five of them with them, just to be safe. I also have something for you Nymphadora." Said Harry.

Don't call me Nymphadora, Call me Tonks. I told you before." said the witch with a scowl. "And what did you get me?" she said with a cheerful tone returning to her voice.

Harry pulled out a Basilisk skin coat and handed it to her. Sirius took that moment to also hand over his coat to Andromeda. Harry said, "It's a Basilisk skin coat and it should protect you from most curses."

Nymphadora let out an excited yelp and tried on the coat, modeling it for everyone, especially Remus, to see. "Thank you Harry!" she said and then gave him a kiss on the cheek.

This might have caused Harry to freeze before, but his time with Luna had done a lot to mellow him out. "No, thank you for helping me… us with this."

"When I heard what was happening, I wanted to help." Said Tonks

Swiftdeath interrupted, "Now that the fashion show is concluded, can we get back to planning?"

Tonks sat back down with a quiet, "Sorry." And the planning commenced.

Harry said, "I also have one more thing for each team." He then pulled out several small rectangular mirrored buttons about two inches wide and tgree tall. There was also a Large mirror twelve by fourteen inches. All the mirrors had three segments that attached to make the whole mirror. Harry explained what they did, "These are similar to the communication mirrors that we use, except that the small buttons only receive sound back. The large mirror can see and hear whatever the three buttons show… at the same time. The three smaller buttons can hear whatever the other mirrors hear. This should help all three teams keep in touch with each other, and the home base with the large mirror can see and hear everything that is going on with everybody. If we use them with a reverse silencing charm that will let us hear what is going on around us but not let any of the noise escape, it should work well."

Tonks was the first to respond, "These are brilliant! I wish we had these and the Stun Stones at the Auror office. Will you maybe consider selling them to the Auror's?"

"I'll maybe consider it." Replied Harry. The meeting went on for another half hour before everyone left to get ready for the next day or practice with the Stun Stones, just in case anything went wrong, Harry spent the rest of the afternoon with his friends. They had dinner in his suite thanks to Dobby and Winky, Hermione had a little frown on her face, and everyone spent many hours laughing before they had to leave because curfew. Luna decided to stay the night with Harry again, even if it wasn't the weekend. She always seemed to know when he needed her.

The next morning he woke to a very passionate kiss from Luna. "Good morning Harry Potter."

Harry could never figure out why she almost always used his whole name but at the moment he didn't care. "Good morning to you too Luna. What time is it?" asked Harry.

"It's three thirty. You have a few minutes before you have to go." She replied.

Harry hadn't told her what he was about to do that day, but somehow Luna knew. Luna always seemed to know. The thought of what was going to happen that day made Harry say what he did next, "Luna, I… I think that I…loveyou." The last few words were said very quickly and quietly.

Luna heard them anyway and replied, "I know, and I love you too." This had made Harry break out in a huge smile and release the breath he didn't know he was holding. A moment later their lips were once again joined together in the most passionate kiss yet. When they eventually broke apart, Luna said." Today will go fine, but remember your Nargle repelling necklace and your invisibility cloak."

After a few more kisses, Harry got dressed in black muggle clothes and put on the belt that Remus gave him for Christmas before he put on his Basilisk skin coat. He had packed the belt with everything he might need including a number of healing potions, the sword he found in the dueling room along with several goblin silver daggers. His Firebolt was in another pouch and thanks to Luna, he put his invisibility cloak in another. He would have forgotten it if it weren't for her reminder. Right before four they exchanged final kisses and another 'I love you' with Sirius making kissing noises behind them before the Portkey whisked Harry and Sirius off to Gringotts.


	37. Chapter 37

Chapter Thirty Six The Final Horcrux

When Harry and Sirius arrived in Gringotts, they were led directly to Ragnok's office. They apparently were the first to arrive and greeted Ragnok, Barkaxe, Swiftdeath and the other goblin who's name Harry found out was Snapjaw. Harry still didn't know what he did. Over the next few minutes all the other participants of the raid along with Ted arrived in Ragnok's office and the meeting started. "Welcome everyone to this most auspicious day. If fate decides it, today will see the last of one of the darkest wizards in recent history. The goblin nation wishes you all luck." All the wizards gave polite thank you's and the goblins gave a head nod but kept silent. Ragnok continued, "I have gone over the plan with Swiftdeath and agree that it is a good one. I would like to make one recommendation though." Nobody said anything and Ragnok went on. "I think it would be better if you capture Voldemort and bring him here to finish him off."

Harry spoke up at this. "Wouldn't it be better to just destroy him as soon as possible? "

"Normally I would agree, but because of the Horcrux's, there might be some unforeseen consequences. I will have our ritual chamber set up for the disposal of the body. It should prevent any disruptions. I will even provide the chamber free of charge,"

Harry and several of the wizards present understood that for a goblin to offer anything for free was a big deal. They understood that the goblins really wanted Voldemort's destruction. Harry said, "I will try my best." Harry also didn't want to take any chances with Voldemort's destruction.

Ragnok nodded and Barkaxe said. "Mr. Black and Mr. Tonks will stay here to watch the proceedings on the map and mirror that Mr. Potter provided. The rest of you will be joining Swiftdeath and Mr. Platt at the location. Let us go over the plan one more time." For the next twenty minutes everyone went over the plan again before Swiftdeath, Josh, Harry, Andromeda, Dora, and Remus made their way to the Portkey room to depart. Right before the Portkey took off, Harry was handed a cage with a drowsy rabbit.

When they arrived outside Riddle manor, Swiftdeath and Josh got started on the wards and Harry searched out Nagini on the map. Over the last few days Harry had been watching the map and discovered that Nagini had an apparent pattern to her hunting so Harry left to leave the rabbit in her path. It took half an hour to bring down the wards. It would've been done much faster, but they didn't want to alert the residence of the manor. During the time that they were bringing down the wards, Nagini had returned to the manor and was now in the same room as Voldemort. Peter had relocated to another room on the second floor and Crouch Jr. was on the first.

They broke up into the three groups when the wards came down and one from each group put on the mirror buttons and the other took the map. Remus took the map and Nymphadora took the button. The other group had Andromeda take the button and Josh the map. Harry put on the button also and everyone checked that they were working. They heard from Sirius through the buttons that everything was working fine. The plan was that when everyone was outside the room that their target was in, Swiftdeath would raise the anti- apparition and anti-Portkey ward and everyone would strike. Also if there was the first sign of trouble Swiftdeath would raise the wards. Each team member had an emergency Portkey that would let them bypass the wards if they were hurt.

"Ok everyone, you know what to do. I want to thank you all for being here." Harry said.

No place I'd rather be." Said Remus.

"OK everybody, disillusionment and silencing spells on." Said Swiftdeath.

It took ten minutes of sneaking around before everyone was in position. At a signal from Swiftdeath through the button mirrors, everyone struck. Since Crouch Jr. was still sleeping, Andromeda and Josh just entered his room and stunned him. They then vanished his clothes and conjured a plain grey robe reminiscent of the one's that Azkaban prisoners wore, and put it on him and bound him in ropes and a body bind just to be safe. While this was going on, Remus and Tonks decided to use the Stun stones since Pettigrew was awake. Looking on the map, they each tossed a Stun Stone into the room where Peter was located. He never had a time to react and was knocked out immediately. They also vanished his clothes and replaced it with a grey robe. They also did the ropes and the body bind, and added a pair of magic suppressing handcuff that Tonks had brought along. One person from each team also attached their Portkey to the prisoner and went along with them back to Gringotts. The other person was going to stay behind to help Harry out if he needed it. The people that stayed behind were Remus and Josh.

Harry snuck in under his invisibility cloak and when the signal went off to attack, he decided to play it safe as he charged a Stun Stone in each hand and tossed them into the room. After they went off he entered the room and saw that Nagini and the body that Tom was using lay on the floor stunned. The body that Tom was using disgusted Harry. It was the size of a one year old baby and looked like a ninety year old man. It was covered with wrinkles and had dark and red spots covering the whole body. It was dressed in a robe that looked to be made for a child and Harry vanished them and replaced it with the same grey robes that the other Death Eaters had been. Harry then collected the wand that was in Tom's hand and bound him, he also sent another Stupify to make sure that he was out. Next Harry went to Nagini and put her in a unbreakable cage that he had unshrunk from one of his pouches. It was the same one that the rabbit was in and had to be enlarged because Nagini was much larger than the rabbit. After Nagini was in the cage, Remus and Josh entered the room with their wands drawn. "You alright Harry?" asked Remus.

"Yeah, I'm fine. There were no problems. Everything go good for you two?"

"It went smoothly. The Stun Stones did all the work." Said Remus.

"Crouch Jr. was asleep so we just entered his room and stunned him." Said Josh.

Sirius's voice from the buttons said, "Andromeda and Dora arrived with the prisoners a few minutes ago. They are fine and the prisoners have been secured. Come home so we can get rid of Tommy and I can give you a hug."

Remus responded, "Do I get a hug too?"

"I'm so happy that everyone is OK that I would hug Snape at this moment." Said Sirius.

"If you do, make sure to wash up before hugging me." Teased Harry.

"Just get back here." Said Sirius and the connection ended.

Harry went to Tom's unconscious body and activated his Portkey. Remus took Nagini with him as he activated his Portkey. Josh was going to stay at the manor and search it thoroughly. When Harry arrived at Gringotts, he was escorted along with Remus to the ritual room by a squad of goblin warriors, levitating Toms body in front of him and Remus carrying the cage Nagini was in.

Swiftdeath was waiting for them outside the ritual room and greeted Harry. "Well done Mr. Potter. Place the body on the alter and the cage next to it. You will be the one do destroy the Horcrux and then you will destroy Voldemort. I, along with the other goblins will activate the protections on the ritual room, but you will be the one responsible for the termination of Voldemort and his last Horcrux."

"OK. Do I need any protection? I recognize some of the runes on the goblins robes. They protect from possession, right?" said Harry.

Swiftdeath gave Harry a disappointed look, "I am surprised with you Mr. Potter. Did you not thoroughly examine your Basilisk skin coat?"

"I did, why?" responded Harry.

"Apparently you didn't do a thorough job. There are runes sewn in that provide protection from possession. If you wear your coat, you will be safe." Said Swiftdeath.

"I must have missed them." Said Harry sheepishly.

"That does not bode well on your career as a cursebreaker." Said Swiftdeath. "We will discuss that later, during your training this summer."

Harry knew that his training just got harder. "Yes sir." He replied. "Shall we get started?"

"Yes." was Swiftdeath's only reply.

Remus wished Harry luck and then left to join Sirius in Ragnok's office. When the ritual room's door closed, the goblins started to chant. Harry secured Toms body and Nagini's cage to the alter in the center of the room and pulled out one of the goblin daggers. This was a special dagger that had been exposed to Basilisk venom. All goblin silver weapons had the unique feature of absorbing anything that would make them stronger, that is why they were so valuable. This particular dagger had been exposed to Basilisk venom, just like the sword of Gryffindor in Harry's second year, and had to have a special scabbard made of Basilisk skin. Harry carefully removed the dagger from the scabbard and waited for the protection runes all along the chamber to glow, signifying that they had activated. After a few minutes and a nod from Swiftdeath, Harry plunged the dagger into Nagini. A terrible scream filled the chamber and a cloud of black smoke left the dead body of the snake. Harry had only been present during the destruction if the diary Horcrux and was expecting the scream. What he wasn't expecting was the black smoke, and it made him take a few steps back.

The backlash of the destruction of the Horcrux had awoken Voldemort who luckily was still bound. "What is going on? Where am I? Wormtail! What is going on?" he said.

"Harry approached and said, "The rat can't help you Tom."

"Potter!" Voldemort spat. "How did you find me?"

"It wasn't that hard, and I had help." Harry said and indicated the goblins who were still chanting.

Voldemort cursed and said, "Filthy creatures. I'll wipe them all out when I regain my power. I'm going to make your and their death extremely long and painful. You will be begging me for death before I'm through."

"I don't think so Tom." Said Harry calmly.

DON'T CALL ME THAT!" Shouted the baby Voldemort.

"Why not? That's your name right? Tom Morvolo Riddle. Son of Tom Riddle, a muggle." Said Harry in a curious tone of voice.

Never mention that filthy muggle's name again!? Said Voldemort. "I destroyed him and I'll destroy you."

"I don't think so Tom. You see, you are about to die." Harry said back.

"I am immortal, I can't die." Said Voldemort with a triumphant tone to his voice.

"You mean because of your Horcrux's?" asked Harry in his calm tone of voice.

The triumphant gleam to Voldemort's eye's vanished to be replaced by fear. "How do you know of them?" he got out. ' _There was no way that the brat could have found all of them._ ' He thought.

Harry saw some of Voldemort's confidence returning so he said, "The diary, the ring, the locket, the diadem, the cup, and if you look behind you, the snake." Harry left out the Horcrux in his scar.

The confident gleam in Voldemort's eyes completely vanished and he said, "How?"

"I would tell you, but there's no point." At that moment Harry struck with the goblin dagger, plunging it deep into Voldemort's chest. The scream that was similar to the destruction of the other Horcrux's, escaped from the now lifeless body and a black mist started to seep out. Instead of dissipating right away, it took on the appearance of two red eyes and tried to escape the ritual room. When that failed, it tried to possess Harry and then the goblins but the protection runes did their job and prevented that. It took about five minutes for the mist to completely disappear and another twenty for the chanting to stop, the goblins wanted to make sure that there was no chance that the shade of Voldemort was still around. The goblins then started to examine Harry, The room and each other before Swiftdeath said that everything was clear and that Voldemort was destroyed. Harry was glad that Ragnok had insisted that he destroy the Horcrux and Voldemort in the ritual chamber. It would have been terrible if Voldemort would have escaped.

Swiftdeath led Harry to Ragnok's office where he was greeted by everyone. Like he said over the mirror, Sirius engulfed him in a hug the moment Harry entered the office. After Sirius let him go, Ragnok said. "Congratulations Mr. Potter. It appears that you have defeated the Dark Lord. I believe that you found a way to confirm his death?"

"I did. I will have to go to the Ministry though, it is in the Department of Mysteries. I'll go after we are finished here." Replied Harry.

"Good, good. If I remember right, the Ministry placed a five hundred thousand galleon bounty on the capture or death of Voldemort that has gone unclaimed. I would suggest that you claim it. Everybody believes that you destroyed Voldemort when you were a baby, so it shouldn't be a problem. If he is really gone you can claim the reward with a clean conscience."

"I don't really need the money, but I'm sure that I can put it to good use. I just might, if nothing else I can use it as a bargaining chip to get Sirius a trial." Said Harry.

"Excellent, now what are you going to do about the prisoners?" asked Ragnok.

If you could hold them until I get back from the Ministry, I would appreciate it. I wanted to check something with the Unspeakable's and maybe they can take them and get the ball rolling on Sirius's trial. I will be back soon, I hope. If not, Sirius will take them with him before the end of the day." Turning to the others in the room he asked, "You'll help him watch them if I don't make it back in time?"

"Sure thing Harry." said Remus, and the Tonks's nodded their agreement.

"Thank you." Turning back to Ragnok, Harry asked, "When do you think Josh will get back from the Riddle manor?"

Swiftdeath answered, "I will be going to join him shortly. It shouldn't take too long after that. We should be back well before you return from the Ministry."

Excellent!" said Ragnok. "Barkaxe you escort Mr. Potter's friends to the prisoners while he goes to the Ministry." The goblins all stood up and Harry recognized the dismissal.

As they were walking the halls, Harry asked Ted to join him when he went to the Ministry and he agreed. Harry forwent any glamour since he would be passing through security at the Ministry, but felt OK about it. Now that Voldemort was gone and Fudge was no longer the Minister, Harry didn't mind being seen. He still didn't like when people gawked at him and he still had to watch out for Dumbledore, but none of that was going to bother him today.

When they reached the Ministry it as in chaos. Ted asked a passing Ministry employee what happened and they found out that several Ministry employees had a section of their arms explode an hour ago. St. Mungos had been able to stabilize them and a number of other patients that arrived, but each person would have a chunk missing from their arm that wouldn't grow back magically. Apparently the same had happened in Azkaban, but since there were no healers on the island and they refused to move the prisoners, many had blead to death. Harry would find out later that Bellatrix and the Lestrange brothers were among the ones that died. This was another thing that Harry took as confirmation that Voldemort was really dead. When he got to the Department of Mysteries, hopefully the other means would confirm it.

They passed through security quickly and an elevator ride later found Ted and Harry outside the D O M's door, Harry knocked and called out for Lassiter. A minute later a familiar grey robed figure opened the door, almost like he was waiting for him.

Come in Mr. Potter, I was expecting you. You will have to wait outside Mr. Tonks." Said the Unspeakable.

"That's OK, I'll go back up and see what else I can find about what's going on." Said Ted.

I'll see you soon." Said Harry and he turned and followed the Unspeakable through the door. The journey to the prophecy room was like Harry remembered from his last visit. When he got to the orb it was dark. The prophecy had been fulfilled. The unspeakable then led Harry in an unfamiliar path to a room that had a tapestry along the wall. The unspeakable let Harry in and said, "This is the Slytherin family tapestry. Here," He pointed to a spot on the tapestry the was by the bottom, "Is where Tom Riddle shows up. A little over an hour ago it showed another death and then the name appeared again. About fifteen minutes later another death was recorded, but no name appeared after that. This along with the prophecy orb going dark leaves us to conclude that Voldemort is truly dead. This also co-insides with the injuries befalling several suspected Death Eaters."

' _Yes! I did it!'_ Harry thought. He looked closer at the tapestry and said, "That sounds about right. I destroyed the last Horcrux and then I destroyed the last piece of Voldemort's soul at that time."

"Well done Mr. Potter. Fortunately, no one from our department was affected. I will show you out now." Said the Unspeakable, and he turned to lead Harry out.

"I actually have a possible favor to ask." Said Harry.

The Unspeakable turned and after a moment said, "Follow me." He led Harry to the drab office that they had their meeting in the first time Harry was in the D O M. "Please sit Mr. Potter. I can't guarantee I can help, but ask away."

"OK, well when we went to capture Voldemort, we found him with two Death Eaters. We captured them and they are both people that the Ministry believe to be dead. The first is Barty Crouch Jr. I believe that he is the one that entered me in the Tri Wizard Tournament. The other is Peter Pettigrew who was the actual Secret Keeper and the one to betray my parents to Voldemort, not Sirius Black."

The Unspeakable was quiet for a moment and then said, "I can understand why you would want some help with the both of them, but what can th do?"

I was hoping that you could possibly smooth things over when I bring them in. I have an Auror friend that will take them in, but she is a new recruit and doesn't have a lot of sway in the department. Maybe you can give her some cover and say that she was helping you guy's out or something?"

"Normally we wouldn't even consider your request, but if you turn over one of Voldemort's Horcrux's for us to study, I will escort her when she turns in the prisoners and say that I used her metamorphmagus abilities to help capture them." Said the Unspeakable.

"Ok, I can do that…wait, how did you know that she was a metamorphmagus?" asked Harry.

"Your connection to the Tonks's. Their daughter is a new Auror and the only Auror that you are on speaking terms with." Answered the Unspeakable.

"Oh, OK. How do you want to do this?"


	38. Chapter 38

Chapter Thirty Seven After Voldemort

Harry made his way to Barkaxe's office when he and Ted got back to Gringotts. "Did anything happen to Pettigrew and Crouch while we were gone?" he asked.

"As a matter of fact something happened to them while you were still here, but we didn't find out about it until after you left the bank. A piece of their right arm exploded and I believe something similar happened all over Britain as well." Said Barkaxe.

"Are they still alive?" asked Harry.

"Of course, Mr. Potter. Nobody dies in Gringotts unless we wish them to." Barkaxe said, showing a toothy grin.

Harry was reminded that it was a bad idea to piss off a goblin. "Where are my friends?" He asked.

"They are watching over your prisoners. Would you like me to take you to them?" asked Barkaxe.

"Yeah, that would be good." Said Harry, and then he and Ted followed Barkaxe to another room that had Sirius, Remus, Dora and Andromeda watching over the unconscious bodies of Pettigrew and Crouch, both of which had a bandage wrapped around their arm.

Sirius was the first to notice the newcomers; Remus and Dora were paying more attention to each other than their surroundings. Sirius said, "Hey pup, did everything go well? Is he really gone?"

A smile broke over Harry's face and he said, "Tom Riddle Jr. is dead!"

Everybody had hoped that Voldemort was gone for good, and hearing Harry's statement made them all let out a 'good' or 'yes' or something similar. They then congratulated Harry and Andromeda asked, "And what about them?" pointing to the unconscious Death Eaters.

I was able to get the Unspeakable to join you and Nym… Tonks" Harry corrected himself at her glare. "in bringing in the prisoners. He agreed to say that he asked for your help in capturing them because of your ability. Hopefully it won't cause you too many problems in the Auror department."

"Why should she get in trouble? She's bringing in two Death Eaters, both thought to be dead. She's a hero." Sirius said with a smirk at Nymphadora.

"Andromeda said, "You know that the Ministry doesn't reward good work."

"Hopefully it will get better with Bones as the Minister." Said Nymphadora.

"We'll see." Answered Andromeda.

"Yeah, we can hope. Anyway, the Unspeakable has agreed to meet you at five this evening to bring in the prisoners. I had him agree to bring them in through the Ministry atrium so that everyone can see them, I don't want the Ministry to hide their capture from the public. Ted, you should have several reporters and photographers at the Ministry at that time."

"I will." Answered Ted.

"Good. The Unspeakable gave me a Portkey to another location that he will meet you at. I didn't think that you guys should arrive from Gringotts." Harry said and looked over at Barkaxe who gave him a head nod. "I'll join you to introduce you two, then the both of you will Portkey to the Ministry. The Unspeakable said he had a Portkey that will bypass the wards in the Ministry atrium."

"OK." said Nymphadora.

"I'll come with you to the meeting too." Said Remus.

"Fine by me. We still have a few hours until the meeting and I'm starved. Who wants to join me for something to eat?" asked Harry.

I'll join you." Said Remus.

"I should get to the Prophet and get them ready." Said Ted.

Andromeda said. "I gave the prisoners a dose of Draught of Living Death, and I should stay and watch over them."

"I'll stay with them too. That way I can honestly say that they were always in my custody." Said Nymphadora.

"l'll bring you both something back to eat. What do you want?" said Remus

"Some sandwiches will be fine." Said Andromeda and Nymphadora agreed.

"In that case, Sirius, why don't we go back to the chamber and have lunch together?" said Harry.

"I don't mind joining you and Remus in Diagon Alley. I have my glamour necklace." Said Sirius.

"I don't want to take any chances now that you are so close to your freedom, besides I want to see Luna… OH MY GOD! I left Luna in the chamber. Come on, we have to go." Harry said and grabbed Sirius and dragged him out of the room to the sound of laughter.

The return Portkey dropped Harry and Sirius in the chamber to the sight of Luna at a table set for three. All of Harry favorite foods were on the table and Luna said, "Congratulations!"

"I'm so sorry for leaving you down here." Harry got out, not noticing the table or the food on it, he only had eyes for Luna. "Please forgive me?"

Sirius sat down and started to eat and Luna said, "Oh Harry, I could have gotten Ssssliter to let me out but I wanted to be here when you got back. I see the Nargles have left you, it looks like the necklace worked."

Harry didn't know how to respond to that so he did the next best thing, he came forward and gave Luna a passionate kiss. After a few minutes, Sirius cleared his throat and said, "You're spoiling my appetite. Come on and eat something already."

At four thirty, Harry arrived back at Gringotts with a smile on his face. He was led to the room that the prisoners were being kept in. When he got there, he saw Swiftdeath waiting for him. "Congratulations Mr. Potter. I heard that you confirmed that Voldemort is indeed dead." Said Swiftdeath.

"Thank you Swiftdeath, and thank you for all your help." Said Harry back.

"It was my job, but you're welcome." Replied Swiftdeath.

"Did you find anything at Riddle manor?" asked Harry.

"There wasn't too much at the manor. There were a few ancient ritual books along with several magical supplies. From the supplies that were found, we believe that Voldemort was preparing a ritual to create a more permanent body. It also looked like one of the ingredients for the ritual was blood of the enemy. We believe that your entrance into the Tri Wizard Tournament was part of a plot to get your blood. It was a stupid plan and just goes to show how far gone Voldemort was. One Horcrux was terrible, seven was just folly." Answered Swiftdeath.

"Is there anything that I have to be worried about"? asked Harry.

"There are always things that you have to be worried about, but not from Voldemort's plot. Other than the last task." Said Swiftdeath.

Harry thought that Swiftdeath was in a good mood. That was the closest thing to a joke that the goblin had ever said to him. "Yeah, there is that. I know that the contract that I signed said that I would get whatever was found, minus Gringotts fifteen percent, but why don't you keep it all, as a thank you. Make sure that Josh gets his share." Said Harry.

"Thank you Mr. Potter. The tomes and ingredients are very valuable."

"Harry turned to Remus, Andromeda and Nymphadora who were giving him and Swiftdeath as much privacy as they could. He asked, "It's almost time to go. What do we have to do to wake them up?"

Andromeda answered, "I have already given Nymphadora the antidote. Give it to them and five minutes later they will wake up. You can stun them again then if you need to."

Nymphadora glared at her mother when she used her name but didn't comment, she was her mother after all. She said, "I think that we should leave them under the whole time, but I'll ask the Unspeakable what he wants to do."

"Good idea." Said Harry. Turning back to Swiftdeath, he asked, "What happened to the snake Horcrux's body?"

"As far as I know it has been moved to your vault, as a trophy. Just like the other Horcrux's." said Swiftdeath.

"Oh, good. I promised the Unspeakable's one of the Horcrux's and don't want to give up any of the founders items." To himself, Harry thought, _'I also don't want to give up the ring. I feel like I should keep it.'_

Before five, Swiftdeath called several goblin guards to escort the prisoners to the Portkey room. No wizard could do magic in Gringotts without permission, and Remus, Nymphadora and Andromeda hadn't been given permission so the goblin guards were required to move the unconscious prisoners. At five the Portkey activated and dropped Harry, Remus, Nymphadora, Andromeda, along with the prisoners in an empty grassy field. The Unspeakable was there waiting for them and examined the prisoners before acknowledging Harry or the others. "Draught of Living Death?" he asked.

Andromeda answered, "Yes, and my daughter has the antidote." Nymphadora showed the two vials in her hands.

The Unspeakable just turned to Harry and said, "And the item we discussed?"

"I will have it delivered as soon as the prisoners are in custody. It was Voldemort's last one, and the one most recently destroyed." Answered Harry.

"That is acceptable." Spoke the Unspeakable. "We should be off. Don't answer any questions and only say that I approached you and that you are sworn to secrecy." The last he said to Nymphadora. She just nodded and the Unspeakable said, "Good." He then pulled out a piece of rope and wrapped it around the prisoners and had Nymphadora grab on. He said "Activate!" and they were gone.

Remus just said, "Nice guy."

The next mornings' Daily Prophet was thicker than Harry had ever seen. Harry had risked having breakfast in the Great Hall because he wanted to see the student's reaction, and he wanted to see his friends. He had only seen Luna the other day and left his mirror in the chamber so he wouldn't get disturbed. Last night he mirror called everyone and apologized for not talking for them earlier, and to say that he would meet them for breakfast. Harry had also arranged to have a copy of the Prophet delivered to every student and teacher, even the other visiting schools. He had noticed that Karkaroff was missing and when he asked he was told that his arm exploded yesterday and that he was in the hospital wing. The tale was exaggerated and it sounded like Karkaroff's whole arm was missing but Harry knew that only a small piece of flesh had been removed. It was Harry's fault for asking the twins what happened. Harry had a little smile at the thought that Snape would also be missing a chunk of his arm. Dumbledore was also missing, but Harry knew that he was at the Ministry.

There were many 'Oh my god's' and yelps of fright or excitement when the papers had been opened. Harry opened his copy and on the cover was a picture of an Unspeakable and Nymphadora levitating an easily identifiable Peter Pettigrew and Barty Crouch Jr. through the Ministry atrium. The title proclaimed, 'BACK FROM THE DEAD!' On the bottom of the page there was a smaller picture of a wizard on a stretcher with his arm bandaged. The smaller title proclaimed, 'MYSTERIUOS AFFLICTION CAUSES ARMS TO EXPLODE!'

Harry had talked to Ted the night before and knew that the Prophet was going to say, so he just looked around to see how everyone was taking the news. All his friends had their heads buried in the paper and so did most of the hall. Many of the younger years just didn't care and by looking around, Harry also saw that Ron was ignoring the paper and focusing on his food.

Hermione was the first to finish reading the paper and turned to Harry and asked. "Isn't it amazing Harry? Peter is in custody and Sirius can now get his trial!"

Yeah, amazing." Responded Harry.

Hermione narrowed her eyes at Harry's tone of voice and asked. "Did you know that he was caught before it was in the paper?"

Harry sighed and said, "Yeah, I did. Now before you ask anything else, let's get everyone together and talk somewhere a little more private."

Hermione huffed but agreed. The twins were the next to finish and also agreed to wait until they had some privacy. Neville was the last to finish and when he raised his head he was muttering, "They're dead." It took a moment for Harry to realize that he was referring to Belatrix and the Lestrange's. One of the articles listed all the prisoners in Azkaban that had died because they didn't receive treatment for their injuries. Harry was able to get Neville's attention and they all left the Great Hall together.

They made their way to Harry suite and Luna was there waiting for them. Of course Hermione was the first to speak. "OK Harry, what do you know?"

"Alot of things. I know that the sky is blue and that water is wet. You're going to have to be more specific." Harry said with a smirk.

The twins laughed and the corner of Neville's lips curled up. Hermione on the other hand found nothing funny in Harry's remarks. "You know what I mean, about what's in the paper!" she said.

Calm down Mione. OK, I do know about what's in the paper because… I did it." Harry said while looking at anything other than his friends. He was glad that he could finally tell them all of what he had been doing the whole year, now that Voldemort had been defeated.

"WHAT!" they all shouted, and then all started to ask Harry questions over each other so that Harry couldn't understand anything they were asking. Even the twins were asking questions at the same time, forgoing their usual twin speak. Luna was just quietly humming to herself.

"QUIET!" Harry yelled. "I will tell you everything, but you have to calm down and let me talk." Everyone quieted down but Harry could tell that Hermione was bursting to ask a question. "OK, first of all I need to apologize to all of you."

"Why?" asked Neville, beating Hermione to the punch.

"Because, I had to keep some secret's from you. It's not that I didn't trust you guys, it was just that I needed to keep the group that knew small and there was nothing that any of you could do to help." Harry said, looking at their hurt expressions. "There are some pretty messed up things and you were better off not knowing some of them. If you want I can tell you all now but some of it is not pretty."

"Is it about Vol, Voldemort?" asked Neville.

Harry was proud of Neville for saying the name and he responded, "Yes. Almost everything that happened this year was because of him, but you don't have to worry anymore. Yesterday I killed him, for the last time."

Harry was expecting another outburst, but was met with stunned silence. Hermione was the first to recover and said, "Yesterday? Is that what caused all those arms to explode? Were they all Death Eaters?"

"You really are the brightest witch of your age, Yup."replied Harry.

Hermione continued, "And you killed Voldemort? Is that when Pettigrew and Crouch were captured?"

Again, yup."said Harry.

Hermione launched herself at Harry and engulfed him in a bone crushing hug. "You stupid, stupid, brave, stupid man." She had tears in her eyes and continued. "I would have helped you if you asked. Why didn't you let me help?"

Harry looked over to Luna, who just smiled at him, and then back down at Hermione and answered, "It was too dangerous and there was nothing you could do."

Hermione replied, "I don't care about that."

"But I do. Besides it involved a lot of sneaking out of Hogwarts and performing magic. You would have been caught by the Ministry right away because you're still under age."Harry said.

Hermione didn't like it but accepted his answer. She let go of Harry and moved back towards Neville. Luna took her place in giving Harry a hug. Neville asked, "So you're also responsible for all the Death Eaters that died in Azkaban?"

Harry hung his head and Luna held him a little tighter before he responded. "Yeah, I guess I am. I didn't know that would happen."

"It's OK Harry, I'm not blaming you. In fact I want to thank you." Harry's head snapped up and he had a curious look on his face. Neville continued, "Some of the Death Eaters that died were the ones responsible for what happened to my parents. I would have liked to kill them myself if I could, but them being gone is the next best thing. You also caught the fourth person who was responsible for my parents and I hope he gets the Kiss."

Harry had never seen the expression that was on Neville's face before. It was almost a cruel smirk. ' _If anyone else deserved justice it was Neville_ ' thought Harry. "OK Nev, glad to be of service"

The twins spoke up next, "Does this mean"

"That Sirius will"

"Get his"

"Trial?"

"I hope so, but you know about the Ministry. If it can be done wrong, that is how they will do it." Said Harry.

Hermione said, "They can't be that bad."

"They"

"Are."

"You Know"

"How little"

"Our dad"

"Knows about"

"Muggles yet"

"He is"

"in charge"

"of the "

"Department that"

"deals with"

"Muggle things." Said the twins.

Harry was getting a headache and Neville and Hermione looked like they had one too, Luna just looked as serene as ever. Harry said, "OK if you want to know what has been going on this year, I will tell you." Everybody nodded. "OK. It started when I snuck to Gringotts earlier this…"

Harry spent the next few hours explaining everything that happened to him and that he did over the summer and during the year. Everyone laughed and cried during the telling and they all were horrified when he explained what Horcrux's were and that he was one. They asked him many questions and he answered them to the best of his abilities. He didn't mention switching goblets with Susan. At the end Harry agreed to show everyone the Chamber of Secrets. Harry thought that the twins were more excited about seeing Sirius again than the chamber. Harry checked everybody for tracking charms and found one on Hermione. Luckily it was just a tracking charm and not a listening charm. It was on one of her shoes and Harry transferred it to a quill that he would have Dobby sneak onto Ron or Draco later. Hermoine was furious when she found out about the charm and Harry could see the last remaining faith that she had in Dumbledore evaporate.

They entered from Myrtles bathroom and spent the rest of the day in the chamber. As expected, the twins spent most of their time with Sirius and Hermione constantly asked Harry questions that he couldn't answer. Harry did have a laugh when Sssloker, Sssslisssser and Ssssliter suddenly appeared and made Sirius and the twins jump about six feet in the air. Harry introduced the snakes to all his friends and the twins loved them, they recognized fellow pranksters. Hermione and Neville never truly warmed up to them.

As Harry was escorting his fellow Gryffindor's to their dorm, Hermione asked, "What now?"

"Now, I have to complete the third task." Harry answered.


	39. Chapter 39

Chapter Thirty Eight Freeing Sirius

The next week at the Ministry was madness. It was discovered that what caused the arms to explode was the destruction of the dark mark. This had caused a lot of people to quit their Ministry jobs and go into seclusion. Others claimed that it was proof that they were Imperiused and that their magic was able to finally get rid of the foul thing. No one believed that, but there was no proof either way. In that time Dumbledore had also been able to get Snape a parole. Snape was banned from Hogwarts and Hogsmeade and forbidden from going near any child under seventeen, but otherwise could come and go as he pleased. Snape's trial was scheduled for the September ninth Wizengamot meeting and so far he hadn't been seen in public. It was also released that all the hairs found in Snape's possession were from redheads. Harry felt sick to his stomach when Sirius said that Snape was friends with his mother and since Polyjuice didn't work on hair from a dead person that Snape must have been using it to get as close to Harry's mother as possible. Snape's home in Spinners End had also been burned down on the same day that Voldemort was destroyed and Harry would have suspected Sirius, but he was at Gringotts the whole day. And Harry knew where his Time Turner was. Like with the death of Lucius Malfoy, there were so many possible suspects that Harry decided to let the mystery go.

Nymphadora got a hearty thank you for bringing in the prisoners then assigned desk duty, Scrimgeour didn't like that she went on an operation without his approval and he overrode Shacklebolt. Because their capture was front page news, the Ministry was going to hold Peter's and Barty's trial at the May 5th Wizengamot meeting along with the nominations of the candidates for Minister for Magic. It promised to be an exciting session.

Harry had been able to get an appointment with the Minister and he brought Ted along. He would try to get Sirius a trial is he could. "Sorry for the wait Mr. Potter." Said the Minister as she entered from the hallway. "Please come in."

Harry and Ted followed her into her office and sat in the offered chair. "Thank you for allowing this meeting Minister."

"Amelia please." She replied

"Of course, and you can call me Harry." Harry responded.

"As you may be able to tell Harry, I am quite busy. What can I help you with?" said Amelia while looking over the parchments on her desk.

"I am here about Sirius Black." Said Harry.

This got Amelia's full attention. "Do you have information on where he is?"

"I'll come back to that later. Did you know that Sirius never had a trial?" asked Harry.

"What do you mean he never had a trial? Of course he did." Responded Amelia.

"No he didn't. If he had it would have been discovered that he was not my parent's secret keeper." Replied Harry.

"What! Do you have any proof of that?" said the Minister.

"I don't, but you do." Harry replied calmly.

Amelia narrowed her eye's and said, "What do you mean by that Mr. Potter?"

"Peter Pettigrew was the actual secret keeper and you have him in custody. He's also a rat animagus if you didn't know." Said Harry. "And it's either Harry or Lord Potter."

Amelia sat back in her chair and rubbed her eye's. "Harry… How do you know that Pettigrew was your parent's secret keeper?"

"He told me." Said Harry.

"How? When?" said Amelia, focusing on Harry again.

"At the end of my third year at Hogwarts, I confronted Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew in the shrieking shack. Sirius was hunting Peter, not me that year. At the end of the term Peter was uncovered as an animagus that had been hiding in his rat form since the murder of my parents. Peter confessed that he was the secret keeper for my parents and a spy for the Death Eaters. He led Voldemort to my house and when his master was destroyed, decided to go into hiding. Before he could escape, he was confronted by Sirius Black. Since he knew that he couldn't win in a fair fight he shouted that Sirius betrayed my parents then sent a blasting hex that killed the muggles, cut off his finger, and transformed into his rat form and escaped in the sewers. He said all this when Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, and myself was present." Explained Harry.

"Why didn't you tell anyone then, and why wasn't Pettigrew turned in?" asked Amelia.

Do you know Remus Lupin?" asked Harry.

"Yes." replied Amelia.

"Then you know about his condition?" asked Harry.

"If you mean that he is a werewolf? Than yes." said Amelia.

Well, it was the night of the full moon and on our way back he transformed and Peter used this chance to escape. Sirius saved Hermione's, Ron's and my life that night by leading him away. As a side note, I was also attacked by a great deal of Dementors that night, again." Said Harry.

"What?" said Amelia.

"I also told the Minister but he was convinced by Snape that I was bewitched even though no one checked. Dumbledore also said that he believed that Sirius was innocent but that there was nothing he could do." Continued Harry.

Amelia was rubbing her eye's again. She said under her breath, "Damn Fudge and the mess he left." Louder she said, "Dumbledore could have done something."

"I have come to realize that since that night." Said Harry.

"And what do you mean that you were attacked by Dementor's again?" asked Amelia.

"It was the third time that year, the first time was on the train to Hogwarts. They boarded and one focused his attention on me. I passed out and don't know what would have happened if Remus hadn't driven it off. He was also the one that taught me the Patronus charm so I could protect myself." said Harry.

Amelia interrupted him, "You can cast a Patronus? A corporeal one?"

"Yeah, a stag." Replied Harry.

"Impressive." Said Amelia.

"Thanks. Anyway, the second time I was attacked was during a Quidditch match. I fell from my broom from over a hundred feet and woke up later in the hospital wing, and my broom was destroyed. The third time was on the night I confronted Peter. Again I woke up in the hospital wing." Said Harry.

Amelia was paling the whole time that Harry was speaking. When Harry finished, she said. "I must apologize on behalf of the Ministry Harry. I had no idea that any of these incident happened and I promise you that if I did, I would have intervened.

"Thank you Amelia. I don't blame you, I blame the previous administration, and Dumbledore. Anyway, this brings me back to the reason I am here. I want to get Sirius a trial. I want my Godfather free." Said Harry.

In the Chamber later, Harry found Sirius giving an interview to Luna for the Quibbler. "… and I told the mother that her daughter had passed out from too much laughter."

Harry didn't want to know what happened before he got there. He went over and gave Luna a kiss on the top of her head. "Hello Luna, Padfoot. What's going on?"

Sirius responded, "I am giving Luna here an interview of my life before I went away to Chez Azkaban."

"Yes, did you know that Stubby was the one to break the sound barrier on a broom? I hope you fixed it after you broke it." Luna said, the last at Sirius.

Sirius replied, "I tried, but sorry, no."

Harry just shot Sirius a look that said, 'Don't mess with my girlfriend!' and the smile on Sirius's face faltered for a moment and then returned. Sirius then said, "How did it go? Am I a free man?"

You know that it wouldn't be that simple. I did get the Minister to give you a trial at the same time that Peter gets his, and to keep it a secret so that there will be no interference. You'll be a surprise witness at Peter's trial right after me. I explained a few things and she will keep Dumbledore out of it." Said Harry.

"That's good." Said Sirius. "May 5th isn't too long from now."

"Yeah, only about a week. Ted wants to meet with you tomorrow." Said Harry. Luna had gone over to play with the snakes while Harry and Sirius started to talk.

"What did you tell her?" asked Sirius.

I just said that Dumbledore knew that you were my Godfather and would get custody of me when I was a baby, that's why I thought that you never received a trial. I also told her that he left me in an abusive home and never checked up on me and that he never told me about my family's place in the world. I don't think that he will be Chief Warlock for much longer. Ted reminded her that the Minister can remove the Chief Warlock but the Wizengamot elects the next one."

"Really? That's great. You know he's going to still meddle." Said Sirius.

"I know, but he will have lost some of his power. Plus if he's not Chief Warlock for the trials, he can't interfere." Replied Harry.

"Is Amelia going to remove him before the election? It might hurt her chances. Is she even going to run?" asked Sirius.

"I think Ted and I convinced her to run, but I'm not sure when she plans to get rid of Dumbs, I'll have to ask her." Said Harry. "It probably won't hurt her chances too much if we keep piling it in Dumbs. Listening at the Cauldron today makes me believe that he's one more scandal away from being considered a dark lord."

"Serves him right, the way he treated you." Replied Sirius.

"You know, we will probably have to let it be known that you are an Animagus." Said Harry.

" Small price to pay for my freedom." Answered Sirius

"Let's forget about it tonight, what's for dinner?"

May 5th came quickly and Harry found himself once again in the courtroom that he was questioned in before. Sirius sat under an invisibility cloak between Harry and Ted in the front row, Hermione and Remus were sitting on the other side of Harry and Ron and Percy were somewhere in the crowd with their parents. Neville wanted to come to the trial but Dumbledore refused to let him. Amelia had met with Sirius earlier in the day and agreed to let him into the courtroom. Dumbledore arrived exactly at ten, the official start of the Wizengamot, and started the meeting. Apparently Amelia hadn't removed him from his post yet. They started with the old business of the last Wizengamot meeting and then began the trials. The first one was for Barty Crouch Jr. and it went quickly because he proudly claimed to be a Death Eater and that he was the one that entered Harry into the tournament. Harry looked over at Ron at that statement and their eyes met. Ron looked away quickly and Harry returned his attention to Crouch's testimony. Crouch also proudly boasted about killing his father. It was also discovered how he escaped Azkaban and that he was kept many years under the Imperious curse by the same man that he killed. He also claimed that the dark lord would return and that he would be greatly rewarded. He wasn't, He was sentenced to the Dementor's Kiss when he returned to Azkaban.

Peter's trial was next and it promised to be quite explosive. Harry could feel Sirius squirm when Peter was brought into the courtroom. After Peter was secured, Amelia immediately asked for Veritasirum to be administered. There were many outraged cries from the Wizengamot and after restoring order, Dumbledore reminded Amelia that Veritasirum could only be given to a willing defendant. Of course Peter said no so she called her first witness to the stand. "Harry Potter!" Harry made his way to the witness box and when he sat down, Amelia started to ask him questions. "Can you please state your name?"

"Lord Harry James Potter, of the Ancient and Noble House of Potter." He answered.

"You were called because you were a witness to the confession of Peter Pettigrew. Please tell us what his confession entailed." Said Amelia.

"It was the night of June 6th. I remember the date so well because it was the date that the Ministry was going to execute an innocent hippogriff. I was led to the shrieking shack following Ron Weasley as he was being dragged by a large black dog through a secret passage under the whomping willow on the Hogwarts grounds. When we got to the shack, me and Hermione Granger, we discovered Ron in a room and in the same room was Sirius Black." The murmurs could be heard when Harry started his testimony, but when Sirius Black was named, Harry had to stop to let it quiet down. A few moments later order was re-established and he continued. "Words were exchanged and a few moments later, Remus Lupin came into the shack and to my surprise, sided with Sirius. I thought that they both might have betrayed my parents, but after another distraction they were able to show me that Peter Pettigrew was in fact still alive. Like Sirius Black, he was an animagus and was in the form of a rat that had been in the same dorm as me. Showing me a picture that was on the front Page of the Daily Prophet showing a rat, Sirius explained that he recognized Peter and that was why he escaped Azkaban. Not to kill me, but to get to Peter. Remus and Sirius then forced Peter to change back from being a rat and after several accusations, Peter confessed to being my parent's secret keeper and betraying them to Voldemort. He also confessed to being a Death Eater and for killing the twelve muggles and framing Sirius. Unfortunately he escaped later that night before we were able to turn him in and free Sirius." Finished Harry. All during his testimony the crowd had been either gasping or shuddering, especially when Harry said Voldemort.

"Do you know why none of this came out at Sirius Black's trial?" asked Amelia.

"He never had one." Answered Harry.

This had caused another round of loud protests from the crowd. One it quieted again, Amelia asked, "Are you saying that an heir to an Ancient and Noble house never had a trial and spent over eleven years in Azkaban? Weren't you Chief Warlock at the time Dumbledore?" The last she said directly to Dumbledore. Harry and her had planned this scene out before the trials started.

Dumbledore had regained his composure so quickly that Harry didn't think that anyone saw the panic flash through his eye's, but Harry caught it. Dumbledore said, "It was a very hectic and confusing time, it must have been a simple mistake that went horribly wrong."

"Right, a simple mistake. There couldn't possibly be another reason." Said Amelia. The panicked look flashed in Dumbledore's eye's again. Amelia went on, "Thank you for you testimony Lord Potter. I now call Hermione Granger to the stand." Hermione confirmed Harry testimony and then Ron did the same. Ron also testified that Scabbers, Peter, had been with his family for thirteen years and so did Percy when he was called to the stand. Remus was not called and Peter was but he refused to say anything. Amelia dropped a bombshell when she called the last witness. "Sirius Black"

Small laughter turned into gasps, shrieks and screams when Sirius removed the Invisibility cloak and made his way to the witness box. Surprisingly, the highest pitched shrieks and screams came from several of the men. When Sirius sat down, someone shouted "Arrest Him." Several Auror's made a move to do just that but Amelia stopped them. After that another person shouted "But he's a convicted murder!"

Amelia said, "As you've just heard, he never was convicted." It took several minutes until it was calm enough to continue, the whole time Dumbledore looked uncomfortable. Amelia then started to ask Sirius questions. "Will you consent to the use of Veritasirum Mr. Black?"

"It's Lord Black, and yes." responded Sirius. "If it is only you that asks the questions."

I can agree to that." Said Amela.

Dumbledore interrupted at this point. "As you know Amelia, Veritasirum if forbidden…"

Amelia cut him off, "Unless the defendant, or in this case witness agrees to take it. And he has." There was nothing that Dumbledore could do so Amelia continued. "Please bring out a dose of Veritasirum." After a few minutes for the truth potion to take effect, Amelia asked, "What is your name?"

With a glassy eyed look, Sirius responded, "Sirius Orion Black."

"And what is your birthday?"

"November 3rd, 1959."

"Good, it appears to be working" said Amelia. "Lord Black, were you the Potter's secret keeper?"

"No."

"Who was?"

"Peter Pettigrew"

The noise level rose again at those two answers and Amelia had to wait for a moment. She continued, "Did you kill the twelve muggles that you have been accused of killing?"

"No."

"Do you know who did?"

"Peter Pettigrew"

"Do you know why you were sent to Azkaban without a trial?" asked Amelia. Sirius was silent so she re-phrased the question. "Why do you think you were sent to Azkaban without a trial?"

"So I wouldn't take custody of my Godson, Harry Potter." Sirius replied.

"And who did take Custody of Lord Potter?" Amelia asked. She turned to watch the expression on Dumbledore's face when Sirius answered.

"Albus Dumbledore." Sirius replied.

Again Amelia had to wait for a few minutes. "One last question Lord Black. Are you now or were you ever a Death Eater?" asked Amelia.

"No." was the simple yet profound response.

"Thank you, Lord Black. Auror Plunkett, please escort Lord Black to the antechamber so he can recover from the Veritasirum. Ask him no questions and allow no one else to do so until he recovers. I now close the Ministry's case on Peter Pettigrew. I would also like the Wizengamot to rule on the matter of Sirius Black. I await your decision." Amelia sat back down and waited.

She didn't have to wait long as only ten minutes later an almost unanimous "Guilty." was delivered against Peter and a "Cleared of all charges." was delivered against Sirius. The guilty verdict also came with the order for the Dementor's Kiss to be performed on Peter too. Dumbledore reluctantly gaveled in the verdicts and moved on to the election for Minister. All this time Peter never said a word and Harry was surprised that he wasn't pleading for his life. Amelia entered her name into contention for the Ministers job and so did Marcus Johnson, Meredith Hornsby, Elphias Doge, and Johnathan Flint.


	40. Chapter 40

Chapter Thirty Nine The Third Task

Harry found himself in the Ministers office again after the trial. Ted, Andromeda, and Remus were all talking to the Minister when the door opened and in stepped Sirius. The first thing he said was, "I'm free!"

This had gotten everyone's attention and Harry was out of his seat in a flash and hugging his Godfather, "Padfoot! We did it!"

Ted, Remus and Andromeda had also come over and either hugged Sirius when Harry let go, or patted him on the shoulder. Amelia stayed behind her desk and invited Sirius to sit. Sirius said, "Thank you for all your help Amy."

Amelia gave him a look at the nickname and said, "You're welcome. I was glad that justice was finally done."

"Only took thirteen years." Sirius said under his breath." Harry put his hand on Sirius's shoulder for comfort and Sirius continued, "What now?"

"Now, you will get a replacement wand because the DMLE at the time snapped yours. You will also be compensated one hundred thousand galleons for each year that you were wrongfully imprisoned. I would recommend avoiding the public for a while. Most will believe that you are still a wanted fugitive and might overreact." Said Amelia.

Ted said, "The Daily Prophet will start to get the word out on your innocence right away. There is going to be a special edition released tonight and another large edition tomorrow. I would also recommend waiting a few days to show your face."

"Where is the money coming from? Isn't the Ministry budget already accounted for?" asked Andromeda when Ted finished talking.

"Normally it would cause a problem, but when we investigated Fudge we found several stashes of un-accounted for galleons. We haven't made it public, but we are using it as a way to boost the Ministry's department budget's. Paying the fine will use most of it up but won't affect the Ministry, thankfully" answered Amelia.

How much will be left?" asked Harry.

"A little over six hundred thousand. Why?" asked Amelia.

"Well… I was told that there was a five hundred thousand reward for the capture or death of Voldemort." Said Harry.

Amelia barely flinched at the name and stared at Harry. "I would have to look into that. Are you wanting to claim the reward?"

"I think so. I can wait if claiming the reward will cause you problems, but if not…" Harry let the sentence hang.

"I'm sure that everyone will agree that you deserve it. Let me look into it and get back to you." Said Amelia.

"Not a problem. Take your time." Said Harry.

"Thank you." Replied Amelia.

Andromeda said, "Now, let's discuss how you are going to become Minister."

Sirius was going to stay with Remus in Harry's Hogsmeade property until going out in public wouldn't be hazardous to his health, but right now he was celebrating with Harry, Remus, Ted Andromeda, Nymphadora, Luna, Hermione, Neville, and the twins in the Chamber of Secrets. Harry had brought Ted, Andromeda, and Nymphadora into the secret of the chamber now that Voldemort was gone. They were all impressed, especially Andromeda since she was a Slytherin when she was in school. Harry also introduced them to Sssloker, Sssslisssser and Ssssliter, Nymphadora didn't like the snakes, them appearing and scaring her so bad that her hair turned white might have had something to do with it.

The party was a raucous affair that ended only when Hermione reminded everyone about curfew. Of course the adults still kept the celebration going while Harry walked his friends back to their dorms, with Luna coming back with him to the chamber.

The next morning Harry met his friends in the Great Hall for breakfast. He wanted to so the students reactions and had the Prophet delivered to everybody again. The trials were already a main topic of the conversations because of the special edition of the Daily Prophet that was delivered the night before. When Hermione sat down she said, "You wouldn't believe what is going on in Gryffindor tower. Everyone kept asking me what happened at the Wizengamot meeting even though it was in last night's paper."

"Poor baby." Harry said in his best baby voice. Hermione smacked his arm. Harry then turned to Katie and asked, "What happened last night at dinner?"

Katie replied, "It was crazy. When the papers came and Sirius Black was on the cover, everyone lost their minds. Dumbledore had to shoot sparks to get order back but refused to say more than that Sirius Black was innocent. Is he really your Godfather?"

"Yeah." Answered Harry.

"And you, Hermione and Ron faced him last year?" asked Katie.

"Yeah we did. He was after Peter Pettigrew and not me, so I was safe. Ron got hurt though." Answered Harry. He looked over and saw that Ron was once again stuffing his face and not paying any attention to his surroundings.

Hermione added, "It's too bad that Pettigrew escaped that night. Sirius might have gotten his trial last year." Anything else she might have said was interrupted by the arrival of the Owls.

Thanks to last night's Daily Prophet there wasn't too big a reaction to the cover. It was a picture of Peter Pettigrew and another of Barty Crouch Jr with the headline, 'GUILTY AND KISSED!' Harry looked over at Neville and saw that he was just staring at the papers cover. Harry let him be and turned back to Katie. "Pass the bacon."

Over the next few weeks things had returned to a sense of normality. Harry had rejoined many of his classes and was glad that he had missed the Blast Ended Scroots in Hagrid's. McGonagall was still giving him the cold shoulder but let him back into her class. Flitwick, Babbling, Sprout, and Hagrid were more than happy to have Harry back in their classes. Potions still had no teacher and Binn's just didn't care, not that Harry would have gone to their classes anyway. He also still skipped DADA and Astronomy. Harry still had to spend a lot of his time avoiding Dumbledore, who was getting more insistent in having a meeting with him. The map and mirrors were coming in handy and Harry had put one of his elves on watching for Dumbledore full time he also still slept in the chamber to be safe.

It was now May 24th and Harry was called along with the other champions to the outside of the Quidditch Pitch by Ludo Bagman to be told about the third task. Karkaroff, Maxime, Remus and Dumbledore were there to represent their champions, and so was the Ministry's new judge. Amelia appointed Sirius Black to join Bagman in representing the Ministry as the new judge. Sirius had been re-hired as an Auror, a job he had when he went to Azkaban, and was now on medical leave. This meant that he was considered a Ministry employee, even though he wasn't working there, but he could still be a judge. A few days after the trials and with the Daily Prophet exclaiming his innocence, Sirius had gone along with Ted and Andromeda to Hogsmeade to see how the populace would react. Other than many stares and a few people leaving the Three Broomstick when he sat down, everyone seemed to accept that he was an innocent man. Several people came up to him and congratulated him and said things like that they never believed that he would have done such a thing. He really only believed Rosmerta's apology. Sirius popularity increased even more when he bought a few rounds for all the patrons. Since then he has been spending a lot of time in Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley getting the public used to him again.

Apparently Sirius appointment to be the seventh judge was a surprise to Harry and Dumbledore. Harry was happy Dumbledore confused. Fortunately Sirius's appearance had kept Dumbledore from trying to corner Harry. Harry immediately gave Sirius a hug which caused Karkaroff to look wearily at Sirius, and Maxime to give a little smile. She said, "You will be fair, won't you Mr. Black?"

"There's nothing to be fair about, but I'll let Ludo explain that." Answered Sirius.

"Yes, well," Started Bagman. "The third task will be in one month's time and if you follow me, I'll give you your first clue as to the task." Ludo turned around and led the group onto the pitch.

"WHAT DID YOU DO!?" yelled Cedric when he saw what happened the pitch. The goal posts had been removed and there were small hedges growing over the whole ground.

Bagman spluttered, "It, it will be put back."

"It better." Muttered Cedric.

"Yes, as I was about to say. Can anyone tell me what you think the third task will entail?" said Bagman, regaining some of his confidence. "

Krum answered first. "Maze."

"Right you are Mr. Krum. The third task is a maze. However, it won't be that simple. In the maze there will be many surprises from magical creatures, spells and traps to conquer. The Tri Wizard Cup will be placed in the center of the maze and the first person to take it will be the champion. Your scores for the first two tasks will determine which order you enter the maze. Is everyone with me so far?" asked Bagman. Everybody nodded so Bagman continued. "Viktor Krum will be first to enter with a score of eighty three points. Next to enter three minutes later will be Harry Potter. After him, Cedric Diggory will enter one minute later. The Last champion, Fleur Delacour will enter five minutes after him. May the best wizard… or witch win!"

When Bagman finished, all the champions started do talk with their Headmasters of Headmistress but Dumbledore didn't seem to be paying too much attention to Cedric. Harry was talking to Remus, but it wasn't about the third task. "Mooney, can you and Padfoot distract Dumbles so I can get away? This is the closest he has come and I don't think he's going to let me go."

"Not a problem cub. Do you know what you're going to do for the task?" said Remus. Sirius joined the group and nodded along.

"I have an idea, yeah. Look, here he comes." Said Harry. Dumbledore was starting to make his way toward Harry. Remus got Sirius's attention and the both of them intercepted Dumbledore, asking him about what happened to Severus. They didn't really care but this had successfully distracted Dumbledore and Harry was able to make it to the castle safely.

Harry decided to use his rune mapping stones with some modifications for the third task. When he completed the modifications, he used his broom under a disillusionment charm to set the stones with the growing hedges concealing their placement. Now it was just a matter of preparing for the task. Watching the map had allowed Harry to figure out where and what the magical traps in the maze would be. The day of the task the magical creatures were added to the maze. There was an Acromantula, three of Hagrid's Blast Ended Scroots, a Boggart, several Hinkypunk's, and to Harry surprise, a Sphinx.

The day of the task had arrived and Harry was nowhere to be seen. All his friends knew that he was preparing in the chamber and were happy to contact him through their mirrors. Harry was a little surprised when the twin's called him and said that their mother and older brother Bill were at Hogwarts. It was discovered that Dumbledore invited them to represent Harry's family. Sirius was rightfully pissed at Dumbledore, he was Harry's Godfather after all, and also a little angry at Molly for her presumption. Harry was able to avoid any conflict by the simple fact that he couldn't be found. Something good did come of it though, Harry was able to watch through the spy mirrors, Fleur and Bill flirt with each other.

It was now time for the third task and Harry's friends all wished him luck when he made his appearance.

Bagman's voice boomed over the crowd. "Welcome Witches and Wizards to the final task of the TRI WIZARD TOURNAMENT!" Bagman waited a few moments for the cheering to die down, than said. "In a moment our four champions will enter the maze behind me and face many magical and physical challenges. The champion to claim the Tri Wizard Cup first will go down in history as the winner of the 1994, 1995 Tri Wizard Tournament!" again he waited for the applause to die down. "The combination of the champion's scores from the first two tasks has determined the order in which they will enter. The first with a score of eighty three is… VIKTOR KRUM!" The applause was almost deafening at Krum's name. When it calmed, Bagman continued. "Next in with a score of eighty is, Harry Potter!"

Harry was a little surprised with the amount of applause that he received. More than half the crowd was cheering him on and only a few 'Boo's' could be heard. He thought, ' _Wait until after the tournament is over, I hope that the twins are able to pull it off_.' Harry looked around and didn't see the twins anywhere.

Bagman went on, "The third to enter, with a score of seventy nine is, Cedric Diggory!" There was still more applause for Cedric than there was for Harry, but Harry didn't mind. "And last, but certainly not least, with a score of sixty eight points is Fleur Delacour!" Her applause was as loud as Cedric's and Bagman continued after it had died down. "On the sound of the cannon, the Tournament begins!"

Bagman approached the champions and said to them, "If you get into more trouble than you can handle in the maze, just send up red sparks and you will be rescued. Now if everybody is ready?" All the champions nodded and Bagman returned to the judges table. There was a cannon blast and Krum entered the maze to the cheers of the crowd. Three minutes later another cannon blast signified Harry's turn to enter. He nodded to Cedric and Fleur and calmly walked into the maze. After the crowd disappeared and the noise died, he took out his map from a pouch on his belt and started to make his way to the center, avoiding as many creatures and traps as possible. He just got to his first obstacle when he heard a cannon blast. He thought, ' _Cedric's in. Looks like I have to just pass through this mist. It's only an illusion of the world turning upside down._ ' Passing through the mist with no problems, Harry made his way to the next challenge. It was an Acromuntula and he was able to drive it off with a simple Incendio charm, all spiders were afraid of fire. He had heard the cannon blast a few minutes ago and knew that everyone was now in the maze. Following the map easily led Harry through the rest of the maze and now, right before him was the Tri Wizard Cup. Harry approached it and instead of taking it, he conjured a chair and sat down and waited. Harry followed the champions on the map and had to chuckle to himself when Krum's dot encountered the Sphinx and a moment later was running away with the Sphinx chasing him. A few moments later red sparks shot in the air and Krum left the maze. Looking back at the map, Harry saw Cedric was stopped at one of the magical traps and hadn't moved for five minutes. Harry hoped that he was OK. He observed Fleur was slowly but surely making her way through the maze and was almost at the cup. Five minutes later he saw that Cedric was once again on the move, but Fleur was now about to enter the center.

"What!?" was the first thing out of Fleur's mouth as she entered the center of the maze and saw Harry sitting down and looking at a piece of parchment. "What are you doing?"

"Waiting for the first champion to reach the cup of course." Said Harry.

"What?" Fleur said, sounding even more confused than she looked. "Why haven't you taken the cup?"

" I wasn't supposed to even be in the tournament and it wouldn't be fair to you or the other champions if I won." Harry answered calmly.

Fleur spluttered, "But, but you are here. What about the first two tasks?"

"Well, I had to prove that I could do them. I just didn't have to take the cup. I was here first after all. You are the first real champion to get here so the cup is yours." answered Harry.

"You should take it. I wouldn't have made it passed the Grindylows if it weren't for you." Said Fleur.

"I don't want it. You better take it quickly, Cedric will be here soon." Harry said showing her the parchment that was a map showing Cedric only two hedges away.

Fleur sighed and approached the Cup. Before taking it she said, "You are a good man Harry Potter." She touched the cup and was gone.

As more proof of the Ministry's incompetence, the moment the Portkey activated it caused all the hedges to disappear. This in turn allowed all the creatures in the maze free reign and several immediately went for the crowd and the champions. Fortunately for Harry the Acromantulas attacked two of the Blast Ended Scroots while the other went straight for Cedric, The Hinkypunks scattered and the Boggart started to turn into so many things at once that it exploded. The Sphinx just sat there, looking bored. Harry pulled out his broom from one of the pouches on his belt and took off. When the hedges disappeared it also removed the ward that prevented brooms from working so Harry was able to fly to Cedric and help him out with his Scroot problem. Amelia wasn't able to alter the third task when she became Minister but she did provide extra Auror support, over Dumbledore's objections. It was a good thing that she did as they were able to protect the crowd and subdue the creatures quickly. Harry made his way with Cedric over to Fleur and Krum in front of the judges table and congratulated Fleur. After order was re-established, Bagman announced that the winner of the Tri Wizard Tournament was, "FLUER DELACOUR!"

There was tremendous applause and that was the moment that Harry was waiting for. Once again, at his signal, fireworks erupted from the stands and Queen's 'Another One Bites the Dust,' started to play. As far as everyone could tell, that is all that happened. The main surprise came when people were starting to leave the stadium and looked at the castle. The whole castle was colored Beauxbatons blue and there was a picture of Fleur in her swimsuit covering the entrance doors. Harry had prepared the castle ahead of time with options for each champion if they had won. Yellow for Cedric and red for Krum. The twins had agreed to wait and set off the change, missing the last task. They didn't mind because all anyone could do was stare at the hedges once the champions entered the maze. At a mirror call from Lee they set off the Beauxbatons option. Secretly they had hoped that Fleur would win because she had the sexiest picture.

There was a party held in the Great Hall that night to celebrate the new champion and Harry, while avoiding Dumbledore and Molly, made his way to where the champions had gathered. "That was fun!" he said as he joined them.

Krum huffed and Cedric just smiled. Fleur said. "This should be yours Harry. You were there first. And I'm going to get you for the picture." Her voice took on an icy tone at the last, but the smile on her face ruined the severity of the threat.

Harry just laughed and said, "I told you that I shouldn't have even been in the tournament and didn't want the cup. You were first and it was yours. And the picture was hot."

Fleur slapped him on the arm and said, "Still…"

Still nothing. You won and now I owe you three bottles of Château Lafite-Rothschild 1869. I'll have it delivered to the Beauxbatons carriage tomorrow so you don't have to worry about losing them tonight." Ill have the two bottles sent to your dorm too Ced, and your one bottle to your ship Viktor." Finished Harry.

Krum responded with, "I was in fourth place. I am supposed to get the Butterbeer, even though I don't deserve even that."

"Nonsense. You did well and are the real third champion. I don't know anybody that could beat a Sphinx on their own. The bottle is yours. Anyhow, I like Butterbeer better." Said Harry.

This caused Fleur and Cedric to laugh and Krum to give him a nod of the head, his cheeks turning very red. Harry spent a few more minutes talking before he excused himself, a moment later Dumbledore arrived and asked the champions where Harry went. Harry spent the next hour talking with friends and avoiding Dumbledore and Molly before he headed to the chamber to have a more private celebration with Sirius, Remus, the Tonks's and Luna. Harry knew that something had to be done about Dumbledore, but that was a problem for another night

 **AN: Check out Can't Rely on Authority one-shots, chapter four for a bonus.**


	41. Chapter 41

Chapter Forty The Final Task

All of the end of term exams occurred before the third task but there was still a week to go before the students were dismissed. At first everyone thought that the tournament was exciting, but other than the first task it was extremely boring to watch. People were also upset that because of the tournament their summer holiday would start two weeks later. Harry had decided to take all of his exams and was confident that he at least passed them all with an A or better. Potions class still had no teacher and the exams were overseen by a healer from St. Mungos who specialized in potions. Harry did feel a little sorry for anyone that needed a potion OWL or NEWT, but Snape really wasn't much better of a teacher that just reading the book. Hopefully things will improve with a new teacher next year. Hopefully the DADA teacher next year will be an improvement too. Every year the teacher had attacked or tried to kill him, even Remus accidentally.

Harry spent the last week hanging out with friends and finalizing his plans for the summer. He had decided to visit all of the Potter properties with Sirius and Luna when she wasn't traveling with her father. So far Harry had never left Britain so he was looking forward to the trips. He had contacted Swiftdeath who had once again provided him with a reusable Portkey so he could continue his training, he still owed Gringotts five cursebreaking jobs and needed to complete his training. With the Portkey it wouldn't matter where he spent his days, he would be able to come and go as he pleased.

Every time Harry saw Fleur that week, she always insisted that he should have won. She even offered the thousand galleons to Harry, Harry just laughed. He did accept an invitation to visit her in France over the summer, as long as he could bring Luna. He was afraid of how Sirius would act around Veela's so he wasn't even mentioned. He also offered to give her an introduction to Swiftdeath when he found out that she was interested in getting a job at Gringotts. Hermione was spending all of her free time with Krum that last week. Since she was still in school in Britain and Krum was out of school now and in Romania, Harry wondered if they would stay together. Neville was seen following Hannah Abbot and Susan Bones around that week too. Susan had come back to Hogwarts a few days after she was potioned and Harry still couldn't look her in the eyes, he was happy for Neville though. The twins spent a lot of time in the chamber with Sirius who had agreed to finance their joke shop, but only if they got their NEWTS. Sirius might have been a little upset with Molly, but didn't want her on his case, which she would have been if the twins left Hogwarts early. He had made the twins vow secrecy about his involvement in their future endeavors.

Harry was still debating if he was coming back to Hogwarts next year. Technically he didn't have to but he knew that there was still a lot he had to learn. Also as soon as he left Hogwarts he would owe the goblins the cursebreaking jobs. All of his friends wanted him to stay, well the twins wanted to go with him to F.U., but had to stay at Hogwarts to get their joke shop. Speaking of F.U., Harry still had to decide what he was going to do with it. He did want to make it a real thing but the obstacles were quite daunting. Harry was going to have another meeting with the Tonks's and Remus after school got out to determine the fate of F.U. once and for all. If F.U. was going to become a reality, he wanted Remus as the Headmaster and he needed the Tonks's advice and expertise. Sirius had already made his opinion known; anything to mess with Britain's pureblood elite was fine with him. He had already appointed Ted as his proxy on the Wizengamot to that end.

Harry could have left Hogwarts at any time, but stayed so he could ride the train with his friends at the end of the term. It might be his last time if he didn't return next year. The final deciding factor in his decision was waiting for him at the head of the teachers table, Harry knew that he would have to confront the Headmaster soon and was not looking forward to it. He sent a note to Dumbledore agreeing to a meeting that Thursday stating that he would be there at five and be bringing someone with him. He was going to bring Sirius and hoped it would go OK.

Thursday came quicker than Harry would have liked and he found himself and Sirius in front of the Gargoyle guarding the Headmasters office. "Ice mice." Harry said and the gargoyle moved aside. Harry and Sirius made their way up to the office and Dumbledore invited them in before they even knocked. Harry thought, ' _Looks like he's up to his old tricks_.'

"Harry, my boy…" started Dumbledore.

Harry cut him off, "How many times do I have to remind you Albus, It's Lord Potter."

Dumbledore gave him a disappointed look and said, "Of course, Lord Potter. Please sit."

Since Fawkes wasn't in the office, Harry took the offered seat. Harry hadn't seen Fawkes for a long time but since he had removed his spy mirror and was avoiding Dumbledore, he didn't know that Fawkes hadn't been at the school for several months. Harry decided to not be as confrontational and replied, Thank you Headmaster."

Sirius said, "You've been trying to have a meeting with my Godson for some time Albus, ever since you and Snape tried to sneak him a loyalty potion." Leave it to Sirius to bypass all the chit chat and get right to the point.

Dumbledore had a regretful look cross his face that Harry and Sirius didn't believe. He said, "That was… unadvisable. I must apologies for my rash decision."

Sirius let out a bark like "Ha!" Harry kept quiet but was clenching his fists.

Dumbledore continued, "It was a mistake but I had a very good reason."

Sirius interrupted again, "What? For the greater good? What is your greater good Albus? And what does it have to do with Harry?"

Dumbledore looked at Harry and said, As you know, Voldemort is still trying to come back."

Harry interrupted him this time. "Voldemort is dead."

"You know better than that Harry. I believe that he has recently returned."

"No he hasn't. He is gone. I killed him permanently a few months ago. You might remember all those Dark Marks exploding? That was him being destroyed." Answered Harry. " And it's Lord Potter."

"No, you don't understand. Voldemort has taken certain precautions to gain immortality." Replied Dumbledore.

"Do you mean his Horcrux's?" asked Harry.

Dumbledore definitely wasn't expecting to hear those words from Harry and spluttered,"W,what!? How!?" Dumbledore was looking so pale that Harry thought that he was imitating one of the Hogwarts ghosts. "How do you know about the Horcrux's?"

"You mean since you didn't tell me about them?" said Harry in a sarcastic tone of voice. "I got some help and figured it out."

Dumbledore looked to Harry and then to Sirius who said, "Don't look at me. He figured it out on his own without my help."

Harry than felt a mental probe coming from Dumbledore and he slammed down his mental shields. He yelled. "STAY OUT OF MY HEAD YOU FUCKING BASTARD!"

Sirius had drawn his wand and was pointing it at Dumbledore and spat. "Don't even think of trying that on me or Harry again, or you won't like the consequences." Dumbledore sat back in his chair and sighed.

After regaining his composure, Harry said, "That's it. I'm not going to be coming back here if you're still around. I hadn't made up my mind, but you just did it for me."

A strange look crossed Dumbledore's face and then he said, "I'm sorry, but you need to stay here." Dumbledore then whipped out his wand faster than Harry or Sirius thought possible and sent a stunner at Sirius. Sirius had lowered his wand and didn't get it up in time to block the stunner and crumpled to the ground. Next Harry was put in a body bind and Dumbledore said. "I'm sorry my boy, but Voldemort isn't gone. It saddens me to say that there is one more Horcrux left, you. For Voldemort to be truly destroyed, you will have to die. It pains me to do this, but for the greater goo…"

Dumbledore never finished his statement because there were several pops and over a dozen house elves appeared in his office and attacked the Headmaster. Harry didn't trust Dumbledore so he had a contingency plan in place. He and Sirius each had the mirror buttons that they used when they captured Voldemort. The other end of the mirrors was at Harry's Hogsmeade home and the Tonks's and Remus were watching. Amelia was also there watching and when Dumbledore attacked Harry and Sirius, it was the signal for several Potter house elves, led by Dobby, to rescue their master. Dumbledore took out several of the elves, but the sheer number of them overpowered him. Harry hoped that the elves were OK. Dumbledore was knocked unconscious and bound by the elves, they then released Harry and revived Sirius.

Sirus was so angry that he sent a castration hex at Dumbledore's unconscious body. After he regained his composure, He said. "Nobody saw that, right?"

Harry said, "Saw what?" Through the mirror he heard similar denials.

Amelia had ordered several of her Aurors to Hogwarts to arrest Dumbledore and while they waited for them to arrive, Harry walked over to Dumbledore and removed the wand from his hand. Harry felt a pulse of magic when he took the wand and decided to keep it. It would serve Dumbledore right if he lost it because of him. He also checked Dumbledore's robes for any other magical items and found three Portkeys, another wand, and several unidentifiable magical items. Harry took them all and checked on the cursed elves. Luckily they were all right and he had the other elves take care of them. He sat back down to wait for Amelia and the Auror's. He did stun Dumbledore one more time to be safe. All this time the portraits were screaming at Harry and Sirius so they sent a silencing spell at all of them.

When the Auror's arrived they searched Dumbledore again and then revived him when Amelia arrived. When Dumbledore regained consciousness, Amelia said, "Albus Dumbledore, you are under arrest for the assault and attempted murder of two Heads of an Ancient and Noble family."

"You don't understand! He has to die for Voldemort to be destroyed! The Prophecy said…"

Amelia cut him off. "The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches ... born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies ... and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not ... and either must die at the hand of the other. Neither can live while the other survives. The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches ... born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies"

"How do you know the Prophecy?" said Dumbledore, looking as pale as a ghost again.

"I told her." said Harry "I also showed her that the prophecy orb had gone dark. It had been fulfilled."

"Impossible!" said Dumbledore.

"Why? Because you didn't have anything to do with it? Other than keep it a secret." Replied Harry. Dumbledore hung his head in disbelief. This had pissed off Harry more than a straight denial would have, he yelled, "LOOK AT ME OLD MAN!" Dumbledore looked at Harry. "All that it required was getting a little help and Voldemort was destroyed. If you only shared the information with me and others that could help, Voldemort would have been gone so much sooner. How many people died because you kept everything a secret? Would my parents still be alive?" Harry turned away from Dumbledore and Sirius embraced him in a hug.

Amelia turned to her Auror's and said, "Take him to the Ministry holding cells. Keep it quiet if you can." The Auror's took an almost catatonic Dumbledore into custody and marched him out of the office. Amelia then turned to Harry and asked, "Are you OK?"

Harry took a moment to respond, "I will be. What's going to happen now?"

"Well, if you press charges," Amelia said and saw Harry nod. "Then it will have to be decided in the next Wizengamot session. Dumbledore still has a lot of support so it will be a tough case."

"Is there anything we can do?" asked Sirius.  
"Not really. I don't think he will get much if any time in Azkaban, but maybe we can get him out of your hair." Said Amelia.

"I want him to rot, but if he goes away, it will be OK." said Harry.

"I'll want a magical oath from him at the least." Said Sirius.

The next day Harry was sharing a train compartment with Luna, Hermione. Neville, Susan, Hannah, the twins and Lee Jordan, Luna was sitting on his lap since the compartment was so crowded. Harry didn't mind, and it appeared that Neville didn't either; Hannah was sitting on his lap too. Several other students occasionally stopped by to wish them well and congratulate Harry on his performance in the tournament. Several people knew that Harry reached the cup first but allowed the real champions to claim it, this more than anything got the Hufflepuffs to support him again. They did respect fair play.

Hermione was saying, "And we will keep in touch, but I don't think it will go anywhere."

"You'll miss snogging him though, wont' you?" teased Fred. Hermione blushed but didn't answer.

Harry then said, "I want to invite all of you to my birthday party this summer. If it's OK with you Neville, I'll make it a dual party."

"I'll have to check with gran but it sounds good." Replied Neville.

"I'll send each of you an official invitation and a Portkey. I still have to decide where to hold the party." Said Harry.

Lee Jordan asked, "So Harry, are you coming back next year?"

The whole compartment got quiet waiting for his answer. "I…I'm not sure yet. It all depends on what happens with Dumbledore."

I still can't believe that he attacked you. My Aunt said that he was going away. She also said that it was him that made Snape potion me." Said Susan. Neville and Hannah gave her a hug in support. Harry just looked out the window. He still felt a lot of guilt in getting her involved.

"Has anybody heard anything about Snape?" asked Hannah.

"He has disappeared. Ted thinks that he has fled Britain. Good riddance I say." Said Harry.

Luna then said, "It was going so nice too." She then took her wand from behind her ear.

Not understanding what she meant but knowing that she had a way of knowing things, Harry also got out his wand. Before anything else could be said, the compartment door was thrown open and in the doorway was Draco surrounded by his trained monkeys. "Potter! Hanging out with the losers again?"

"Why do you never learn Draco? Every time you come here, you leave in disgrace." asked Harry.

The twins added, "We think that"

"His father had"

"dropped him on his"

"head one too many times." they finished together.

The whole compartment laughed and Lee added. "That's not going to be a problem anymore."

Draco's face was getting redder and redder. He turned to Harry and said, "I know you had something to do with what happened to my father." This was in fact true but Draco had no way to know that, he was just spouting off. "I will have my revenge."

Harry just laughed. Soon the whole compartment was also laughing again. Harry said when his laughing stopped, "That was a good one. Go away before you hurt yourself and take the bookends with you."

Draco's face turned even redder and he reached for his wand. Before he could get a spell off he was hit by no fewer than five spells. He was thrown back into the corridor and was sprouting branches from his head, his skin was a bright purple, his hands turned into cats paws, and his robes turned into a pink Tutu. All the wands then pointed at Crabbe and Goyle and Harry said. "Take him and go." Crabbe and Goyle did just that and a few moments later the conversation in the compartment returned to normal.

As the train pulled into Kings Cross station, Harry said to his friends. "Thank you for all your support this year. It was crazy and I don't think I could have done it without you." Luna gave him a kiss and Hermione gave him a hug.

Hermione then said, "You are my friend Harry. I'll always be there for you."

Everyone nodded and then the twins spotted their mother. "We have to go. "

We'll be sure to"

"Prank our little"

"Brother all summer." They finished.

"Thanks. Don't go too far. He was once my friend." Said Harry while he ducked down behind Luna and Neville, he was still avoiding Molly. He had received three howlers from her after the third task and didn't want to deal with her yet. Sirius was planning an epic prank on her.

"No"

"Promises." Was their reply while snickering at his antics.

Neville left next when he saw his gran and Hermione left soon after that. Her parents were waiting for her on the other side of the entrance to platform 9 ¾. Hopefully they would all be seeing each other soon enough to celebrate his and Neville's birthday. Luna then dragged Harry off to meet her father. It was going to be the best summer ever.

 **AN: Thank you everyone that has followed or favorited this story. I appreciate all the reviews; they inspired me to finish this story as fast as I did. This was my first attempt at writing fanfiction and I think I did OK. I wanted to try it on my own so that explains the many typo's. Feel free to PM me and let me know what you think. There is still one more chapter to go, an epilogue. After that I will try my hand on my second story. According to the poll it will take place after second year. I don't think it will be as long as this story and I am planning to try it with a Beta or two. The whole point of this story was to show that with the proper preparation and help, everything could have been handled so easily. I appreciate and love the world that JK Rowling created, but there were some big holes in her story. I have been reading fanfiction for some time and am really impressed with several of the stories. It is all thanks to JK. Hail the queen.**

 **Again, thank you for reading.**

 **P.S. Luna and Harry haven't gone farther than kissing so far. They still are kids after all. Maybe an accidental touch or two… or three.**


	42. Chapter 42

Epilogue

Fifteen years later.

Several memories assaulted Harry as he walked the halls of Hogwarts again. He remembered the moment that he asked Luna to marry him. It was in the Room of Requirement in his sixth year. The room was once again the copy of the pool that he had been using when he first truly met Luna. As per her usual quirkiness, she had said yes before he could even ask.

Continuing his journey, He was remembering the grand prank the twins pulled off when they graduated. Even though Harry helped, he still couldn't believe that they pulled it off. They had turned all of the stones of the castle invisible. This was an amazing piece of magic that took them several months of preparation to pull off. It caused a lot of havoc but did have some benefits, eight secret rooms were discovered because of it and a whole level below the dungeons was also discovered. The Room of Requirement showed up as a mist. The prank lasted a whole day and McGonagall still hasn't forgiven them. It might be because she was in the shower when they activated the prank. Several other female students and a few of the men also hexed them because they were caught in the shower or other compromising positions. They were heroes to most of the student body though, especially those that were near the showers when the prank went off. Harry was thankful that he was fully dressed at the time. He had also worked with them so that the Chamber of Secrets would stay secret during the prank. He still liked to use it as a safe haven.

Soon Harry came upon Neville Longbottom. He was now a teacher at Hogwarts and it surprisingly wasn't Herbology. Neville was the Defense against the Dark Arts teacher, and had been for the last five years. It seemed that when Voldemort finally died, so did the curse on the position, also Harry removing the curse ward over the DADA's classroom in his fifth year helped. Another example of Dumbledore not taking care of the problems at the school, all it took was a thorough examination of the classroom to find the curse. The DADA teacher, another retired Auror, had only signed a one year contract, but surprisingly came back the next year and stayed for four more. He was the best DADA teacher Harry ever had, other than Remus. Harry didn't know the next DADA teacher, but heard that he was good.

"Hey there Nev." Greeted Harry.

"Lord Potter." Neville said seriously, and bowed. A moment later they both started to laugh.

"How are you doing Nev?" Harry asked when the chuckles subsided.

"Just fine. Busy, and you?" replied Neville.

"The same. I can't believe that I'm here." Said Harry.

"Yeah, it's been a while. Where's Luna?" asked Neville.

"She's down by the lake with Casper and Alice." Said Harry. He did regret showing Luna those Casper the friendly ghost cartoons, but didn't have the heart to deny her the name. He did spoil Casper to make up for it. He spoiled both his kids so it wasn't obvious.

"I can't believe that Casper will be starting Hogwarts in two years." Said Neville.

"They grow so fast. I'm glad that you're a teacher here. I don't know if I would send him here otherwise,, no matter how much he wanted to come." Said Harry.

"Yeah, I would've thought that he would go to C.K." said Neville.

This had brought another memory to the forefront of Harry mind, the creation of Fantastic University and it's off shoot Center of Knowledge. Sirius loved that when you put the two together it spelled F.U.C.K.

Fantastic University became a reality after Harry's sixth year. It took the extra two years for all the little details to be worked out and for teachers to be hired. It had been decided that the school would be a real University. It taught NEWT courses, continuing education and Master courses. Harry had looked into it and everywhere but America required an apprenticeship to get a Mastery in a subject. It had taken the extra years to get a program together and get It approved by the I.C.W., quite a few 'donations' too. F.U. also offered classes in all the standard muggle subject that were needed to get a GED or a GSE and they were recognized in the muggle world for anyone that wanted to continue onto a muggle University. Hermione was proud of Harry for that, in fact she took them all after she graduated and was now working for F.U. as the school librarian while getting a mastery in every subject the school offered. Harry had waited until Luna had gotten her OWL's from Hogwarts before they both went to F.U. to complete their NEWT's. They also received Masteries in Defense Against the Dark Arts and Runes for Harry and Herbology, Care of Magical Creatures, and Arithmancy for Luna.

As Harry wanted, the school was open to all magical races, even though it was mostly witches and wizards. A goblin or a centaur walking the halls of the school was not too uncommon a sight. It took a lot of convincing to get the goblins to participate, but after offering them a position teaching weapon training and warding plus offering a discount on tuition for any goblin to attend the school and any Gringotts employee to continue their education, they participated. Harry also worked out a deal with the Haitian magical government for a Gringotts branch to be opened on the island. This along with the school had made Haiti a new magical hot spot in the world and was now the fourth most visited magical vacation spot. Centaurs were still a rare sight, most avoiding the human population but a brave few were welcomed at the school. There were also a few vampires, all of whom took night classes. Thanks to the school, Haiti also became the second largest community of Veela's in the world. They had purchased a great deal of land on the other side of the island and were frequent students of the school. They did make bad teachers though; everyone paid more attention to them than to the lessons. All except for Oclumancy training, if you could get past their allure you could usually master Oclumancy easily.

After many pleas, bribes and threats, Remus had agreed to become Headmaster of F.U. Nymphadora Tonks taking the job of head of security had nothing to do with it. Nymphadora had gotten tired of desk duty and when she complained about it, she was put on suspension. She quit soon after that, having lost faith in the Ministry and was more than happy to take the offered job. Amelia had asked her to stay and said that they would work something out but it did no good. Remus settled into his role like he was born to it, in fact he was still the Headmaster. Fantastic University was open to all magical creatures so Remus made it a point to get as many Werewolves to attend as possible. At first it was slow, with only a few dozen brave enough to attend. But after Greyback attacked the school and was killed by the combination of security wizards and goblin warriors that Harry hired to augment security on the full moon, the main opposition in Europe disappeared and Werewolves flocked to the school in packs. They were happy for a place to get their education in safety and the discounted Wolfsbane potion helped. F.U. had one of the most extensive potion programs in the magical world and offered the Wolfsbane and other potions at cost. Harry had also made arrangement and had created several secure facilities where Werewolves could spend the full moon in if they wanted. All but one was an underground bunker made by the goblins that was expanded to the size of ten football fields. One had a series of obstacles that the Werewolves could navigate to expel their energy, it was also popular during the rest of the time for the more adventurous students. Another one was built like a cave that had many tunnels and hidey holes. Harry had also found a deserted island that he bought and put under a Fidelius then stocked it with small animals. This was popular with the Werewolves that still wanted to run free and hunt on the full moon. There was still some bigotry toward them at first, but the school did a lot to combat it and their policy was starting to show results in the rest of the world. Having people exposed to so many Werewolves and seeing them as normal most of the time had started to be seen in new legislation in several countries. Britain still was lagging, but small steps had been made.

The inclusion of so many Werewolves had caused a question of what to do with the younger ones. Most schools in the world still refused to take them so Harry created his own, the Center of Knowledge. On the same island that he bought, he created the school that started to teach muggle subject from the age of seven. When the children reached the age of eleven, their standard magical education began. This continued until they achieved their OWL's and then they could attend F.U. if they wanted. Certain subjects like History of Magic, Arithmancy, and Potions, anything that didn't require active magic, was taught before the students started learning regular magic at the age of eleven. This was working out so well that several other countries had started to do something similar. America was the closet to this style of teaching and had good results so far. Britain still refused to change. There were many requests from parents from all over the world trying to get their kids into the school, most of which didn't care that most of the students were Werewolves. So five years ago it had been opened up to all of wizarding society and was quite the success.

F.U. and C.K. were all day schools so the students and parents all needed places to stay and a thriving magical community had built up around the school. Harry had bought the surrounding land and built apartment complexes and small houses for the students and their families that didn't arrive by Portkey or Floo for their classes. Several of them had decided to open shops and restaurants around the school. Harry owned the property so he offered them discounted rates for the first five years, after that it would be raised to an acceptable level commiserate to the value of the property. Barkaxe had insisted on that when Harry said he wanted to offer discounted rates. This along with the Magical greenhouses that he had built to provide food and potion supplies for the school, were the main source of employment for the local magical community which had grown quite a bit. Harry offered any surplus food to the local community and this had greatly endeared him to them, making it easier for him to get things done. The school still had to import some items, but was mostly self-sufficient. It also surpassed Hogwarts as the largest employer of House Elves in the world.

Harry snapped back to the conversation he was having with Neville. "He's in it now with Alice, but he wanted to go to the same school that mom and pop went to. I can't say no to that kid." He finished with a smile.

"I know what you mean." said Neville. "I can't say no too little Amy or Stacy either."

"Are they good? And Hannah?" asked Harry.

"They're great, and Hannah is doing good. She spends too much time at St. Mungos, but what can you do." Replied Neville.

They walked in silence for a little while, thinking of their kids when Harry said, "Remus and Sirius send their regards."

"They decided not to come then?" asked Neville.

"No. Remus was too busy and Sirius just didn't want to." Answered Harry.

"I can imagine that Remus is busy with eight kids. He's beat Molly Weasley in amount of little ones for one person. Poor Nymphadora, although her ability should make child birth easier." Said Neville.

"You would think so, but no. Somehow her body refuses to change when she becomes pregnant. She's threatened to castrate Remus every time, but eight kids…" Harry let it hang.

"Poor woman, must be the Werewolf mentality of wanting a pack." Replied Neville.

"I've never seen a happier, tired, but happier woman." Said Harry. "So, how are things at Hogwarts? You've been made head of Gryffindor right?"

"Yup. Things are good. I've been able to handle it so far but Fred and George's kids are starting next year so it should start to get more interesting. I can't believe that they each had twins, and at the same time." Said Neville. "And they did it again two years later."

I almost feel sorry for you… almost." Said Harry . They both had a little chuckle at that. "Molly must be happy. What does that make it? Seventeen grandchildren?"

"Yeah. And you still haven't talked to her in ten years?" asked Neville.

Not since I found her helping Ginny in trying to sneak me a love potion before my wedding." Said Harry.

"I still think you should have pressed charges." Said Neville.

"The oath was enough for me and Luna, Luna more than me. I still respected Arthur and the twins so..." said Harry

"I guess. All the Weasley kids have been OK so far." Replied Neville

"Tell you what, I'll give you a copy of the Marauders Map if you promise me that you'll keep an eye on my kids when they get here." Said Harry.

"Not a problem. I would anyway, but the map will make it easier. Do you remember Draco Malfoy?" asked Neville.

This seemed like a wierd change of topic so Harry responded, "I try to forget him when I can. He causes Ted and Andromeda a lot of problems in the Wizengamot."

"Well, his first kid will be starting the same year as yours." Said Neville.

Now it made sense. "He married Pansy Parkinson right, what was his kids name again?" replied Harry.

"Scorpius, and yeah, he married Pansy." Said Neville.

"Looks like the Potter/Malfoy rivalry will start again." joked Harry.

They kept walking and joined the crowd that was forming outside. Neville excused himself and Harry went to a group of people that were talking to Flitwick. "Proffesor." Greeted Harry.

Flitwick turned to him and said, "Harry, so good of you to come."

"Yes, well." Said Harry. "How have you been? Still the Deputy Headmaster?"

"Still. The job seems to get harder every year. It was a good thing that I gave up being head of Ravenclaw when I took the job. I can't believe that Minerva was able to do all three things." Said Flitwick.

Harry thought, ' _She really didn't. Not well at least.'_ Aloud he said, "You did the smart thing. You are a Ravenclaw after all."

This got a smile from the diminutive professor, who said, "Thank you. OH! Looks like some of the students are acting up. Will you excuse me Harry?"

"Of course." Replied Harry and Flitwick went off to chastise some kids who were levitating chairs. Harry than joined another group that had the Minister of Magic. "Minister." Harry said, bowing.

"How many times do I have to tell you to call me Amelia."

"I guess once more." Replied Harry with his trademark smirk.

"I'm glad that you could make it. I know that you don't want to be here but I appreciate that you came." Said Amelia.

"Well, when the most popular Minister of Magic that Britain had ever seen asks, you come." Harry said with a little humor in his voice.

"I would disagree with you, but I can't." teased back the Minister. "Seriously though, your presence will make this easier."

"Glad to help. Did you review the new Werewolf legislation yet?" asked Harry.

"I did, but let's not talk politics today." Responded Amelia.

"You're right. Did Johnathan come?" asked Harry, looking around.

"No, my boyfriend had to work. And no, I will not have him sign an autograph." Said Amelia.

"But he's Casper's favorite Quidditch player." Whined Harry.

"And the autograph would be for your son?" asked Amelia.

"Probably." Harry said with a grin forming on his face. "Any hoo, Sirius, Remus and Dora send their regards."

"Give them mine in return. Sirius wouldn't come then?" asked the Minister.

You know what he thinks of the man. I didn't really want to come either but your request and Luna's urging forced my hand." Said Harry.

"That girl can get you to do anything." teased the Minister.

"Yup." Was Harry's only reply.

Speak of the devil, Luna took that moment to make her appearance. "Hello love." She said and gave Harry a kiss on the lips. "Hello Amelia."

"Hello Luna." Replied Amelia. "How have you been? The kids?"

"I have been well, and the kids are flourishing. The next one will be here in six months." Said Luna, rubbing her belly. Harry gave her a kiss.

"Really!? Another one? Is it a boy or a girl?" asked Amelia.

"Another boy. I'm going to let Harry name him this time." Answered Luna.

"So where are you staying now that you are pregnant. Surly you aren't still on your treks for the, what was it again? Crumple head snore cat?" asked Amelia.

"Crumple Horned Snorecack. And no, I found that two years ago in South America. Don't you read the Quibbler? There was a big article in it at the time." Luna said, a little hurt entering her voice at the end.

"Sorry." Said the Minister, "I am so busy that I don't have much time to read for fun."

"The Quibbler is a very important publication and you should pay more attention to it." Said Luna seriously.

"I'll try" replied Amelia. She wouldn't.

"As it happens, we have moved back to Haiti for the kids. They love it there, especially since they can play with the Lupin children." Said Luna.

And Sirius?" asked Amelia.

"I consider him one of the Lupin children." Said Luna. Amelia laughed.

All this time Harry just looked on with a smile on his face. He remembered the several treks around the world he and Luna took as they completed their masteries and Harry completed the cursebreaking jobs that he owed the goblins. It was on one of these jobs that he and Luna discovered the Crumple Horned Snorecack. After the kids were born, they took fewer trips but still did a lot of exploring. They had discovered several magical creatures that people thought didn't exist and Luna was in the process of writing a book on them. Seeing the crowd starting to take their seats, he said, "Looks like everyone is ready."

Amelia looked around and said, "You're right. Dinner tomorrow?"

"Sounds good." Said Harry and then he left with Luna to take his seat.

Amelia went to the front dais and started to speak. "We are all gathered here today to mourn the loss and celebrate the life of Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore. His life was one of great deeds and…"

Harry's mind wandered again to the past. Over the summer after Harry's fourth year and the Tri Wizard Tournament Dumbledore had been arrested for trying to kill him. He was under the mistaken belief that Harry was still one of Voldemort's Horcrux's. To avoid the scandal of a trial, and against Sirius's better judgement, Harry had agreed to let Dumbledore off without one if he agreed to a magical oath to not interfere or cause others to interfere in Harry's or his friends life. He had to also leave his positions as Headmaster, Supreme Mugwump of the I.C.W. and Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot. It took a trip to the Department of Mysteries for Dumbledore to see the dark prophecy orb and an exam of Harry scar before he agreed to the demands and he slunk off to obscure retirement. Amelia had then won the Ministers job in a landslide victory and had done a superb job according to Harry and the Tonks. Magical Britain was slowly but surely coming out of the dark ages. Many in the dark faction had lost a lot of their power and influence when their Dark Mark's exploded, but they still held a lot of the votes back. Draco Malfoy took over the faction when he came of age but didn't have the skill or finesse of his father. This was all good according to Ted and Andromeda. Thinking about Dumbledore also made Harry think about Snape. Snape had left Britain and was now in Switzerland and publishing Potion text books under the name H.B Prince. He was a much better writer than a teacher and F.U. and C.K. used some of the texts. Harry had him tracked but let him be, Sirius did send him cursed letters every now and then.

Harry focused back on Amelia. "… retired fifteen years ago. He was still willing to offer help to anyone that asked. He will be missed." She stepped down and the next person started to elegies Dumbledore.

Luna turned to Harry and said, "I know that you didn't like the man he became, but he was a good man once."

"I know. It's just a little hard to forgive some of the things that he did. And the public doesn't know and still loves him." Said Harry. The Prophet had still run some stories on Dumbledore's past that summer but Harry had them lay off after Dumbledore took his oath. Most of the damaging things left to reveal about Dumbledore would cause problems for Harry so it was left alone.

Luna said, "He is gone now, so let's get on with our life, Daddy."

Harry smiled and gave her a kiss.

 **AN: This is it. The story is now over. Thank you to everyone that stuck with it to this point and for reviewing my first story. Hopefully some of you will be there for my next attempt. PM me if you have any questions. Don't know if I'm going to do anything with Fantastic University so if anyone wants to adopt it and create their own story, PM me.**

 **P.S. What happened to Harry's Invisibility cloak. The runes that Dumbledore placed on it allowed him and anyone else that knew what to look for, to be able to track him when he used the cloak. Without the added runes, the cloak offered true invisibility. Anyone under it could not be detected by sight or sound. It would also not be detected by the Homenium Revelio, unlike other cloaks.**

 **P.P.S. The Dursley's. Harry never returned to the Dursleys but never told them that. They stayed at Kings Cross station for several hours before realizing that Harry wasn't coming. Three years later Vernon had a heart attack but didn't die. He lost his job the next year and the family had to move in with his sister. Dudley had gotten a girl pregnant and was now living in a loveless marriage.**


	43. Chapter 43

Sorry for all the updates. I tried to fix someting and i did it wrong. Sorry again.


End file.
